Tuiloma Neroni Slade (born 8 April 1941) is a Samoan politician, diplomat and lawyer who held the post of secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat from 2008 to 4 December 2014. He was elected to the position for three years on 20 August 2008.[2] Slade was reappointed to a second term by the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum on 8 September 2011.[3][4]
Slade began his career as a Samoan lawyer, serving as the senior prosecutor for the attorney general and the Parliamentary Counsel to the Samoan government.[3] He became the Attorney-General of Samoa in 1976 and remained in office until 1982.[3]
Before beginning a diplomatic career in 1993, Slade became the assistant director of the legal office for the Commonwealth Secretariat, based in London.
Slade served as a Samoan diplomat from 1993 until his appointment to the International Criminal Court in 2003.[4] He was appointed as Samoa's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York City.[4] Slade concurrently served as both the Samoan Ambassador to the United States and the High Commissioner to Canada.[4]
In 2003, Slade was elected to a three-year term as a justice of the International Criminal Court.[4][6] During his tenure, Slade served as a Presiding Judge of Pre-Trial Chamber II at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands.[4] He practised law as an international legal consultant from 2007 to 2008 after leaving the court.[4]
Secretary general
Tuiloma Neroni Slade was appointed secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat on 20 August 2008 for a three-year term[3] and took office on 13 October 2008.[7] He was elected following the death of Secretary General Greg Urwin on 9 August 2008. He succeeded acting Secretary General Feleti Teo, who also sought appointment to a full term.[4]
He announced his intention to seek reappointment to a second term in 2011. Slade's reappointment was openly opposed by the government Frank Bainimarama of Fiji, which has been suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum since 2009.[8] Bainimarama put forth another candidate for nomination, former Fijian foreign minister Kaliopate Tavola, with the initial support of the members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.[3][8] Fiji released statements touting the opposition of the Pacific Islands Forum's Melanesian members to Slade's reappointment.[9]
Despite Tavola's nomination, the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum unanimously reappointed Slade for a second term on 8 September 2011, following a leaders' retreat on Waiheke Island in Auckland, New Zealand.[3][4][9] He received full support from all members, including the Melanesian Spearhead Group.[9] It is unknown if any Melanesian members put forth Tavola's nomination during the retreat.[9] Slade thanked leaders for his renomination in a statement, "I sincerely thank the Forum Leaders for having confidence in me to lead their Secretariat for a second term. I will of course work to the best of my abilities to serve the Forum membership in pursuit of aspirations in the Leaders' Vision for a region of peace, harmony, security and economic prosperity, so that all our people can lead free and worthwhile lives."[3]
Following his retirement, Slade was appointed to Samoa's Judicial Service Commission.[10]
