by Siphiwe Sithole
Intern, Anglican Communion Communications, London
Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Matalavea, 55, has been appointed the new Anglican Observer at the United Nations. She succeeds Bishop Herbert Donovan who has served as the Interim Observer.
Mrs Matalavea received a B.A. Accounting/Administration including Units in Economics and Education Psychology, from the University of Samoa in 1984, after she had attained, in 1964, a New Zealand School certificate-General Education.
She has been involved with the UN as Operations Manager, overseeing the entire operations of the Samoa field office. In serving the UN Resident Coordinator role of UNDP, Fagamalama Matalavea has dealt with the Security of personnel and assets of the United Nations system as well as the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Her added responsibilities for Fellowships, as well as the establishment of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Common services, provided her with the avenue for expansion of her knowledge of the United Nations and other organisations.
In the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Matalavea served as Co-president chairing Plenary Sessions of the May 2000 General Synod. As a member of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), in 1987 to 1993, she gained a rich experience of the Anglican Communion as she was exposed to issues of justice, peace and family international projects.
She participated in leadership roles dealing with women and family issues during ACC meetings in Singapore, England, Wales and Southern Africa.
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd George Carey, said he is delighted that Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Matalavea has been appointed to the post of the UN Observer for the Anglican Communion and that the family of Churches values greatly the opportunity to take part, through this office, in the family of nations.
The Archbishop said: "Mrs Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Matalavea's long service with the UN Development Programme and her significant experience in the ACC have exposed her to many of the issues concerning the well being of people and communities that she will encounter in her new role."
The ACC Secretary General, the Revd Canon John L.Peterson, said he is particularly encouraged that the new Anglican Observer at the United Nations comes with such a broad perspective of the world. "As a former member of the ACC Archdeacon Matalavea understands the Instruments of Unity within the Communion with her multi-faceted experience in the Province of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia", he said.
Canon Peterson added, "As work with UNDP in Somoa gives her a unique perspective of the working of the UN in the field. Now she will bring that experience to New York as she 'knocks on the door' at the UN in support of the different Provinces in the Anglican Communion."
The Presiding Bishop of New Zealand and Polynesia, the Most Revd John Paterson, described Archdeacon Faga Matalavea as "a respected and greatly loved figure" in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
"Fluent in several languages of the Pacific nations as well as English, Faga has won hearts of all members of the General Synod in this Church with the charming and yet perceptive manner in which she has chaired the Committee stages of our General Synod over the last decade", he said.
Presiding Bishop Paterson said this meant earning the trust and respect of each of the three major cultural streams in this Church, and that she comes from a Diocese in which ethnic diversity is spread over many different Pacific nations and languages and cultures.
"Archdeacon Matalavea is a person of deep personal faith, a person with significant international experience, and is blessed with great personal warmth, charm and dignity. I am sure she will serve the Anglican Communion extremely well in this key appointment as Anglican Observer at the United Nations", Presiding Bishop Paterson said.