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Naima Fifita Taafaki 

Senior Associate | Ocean Guardianship 

“The Ocean has carried us since the beginning – ancestor, connector, sustainer. Reciprocity must guide our governance, and law must rise as a tool for Ocean justice – not to dominate, but to defend, to decolonise, and to heal what extraction has broken.”

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Naima Te Maile Fifita is an international legal advocate whose work centers on advancing laws and policies that reflect the rights, values, and lived realities of ocean-dependent, island, and Indigenous communities. Her focus lies at the intersection of ocean protection, human rights, and climate justice – recognising the ocean not only as a vital ecosystem but as a living ancestor, a source of identity, and a foundation for justice and collective wellbeing. 

She is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi - Mānoa, where she studied international law and received certificates in Environmental Law and Native Hawaiian Rights. During her time there, she served as President of the Pacific Islander Legal Association, advocating for stronger inclusion of island perspectives in legal education and environmental governance. 

As a Sue Taei Ocean Fellow, Naima founded The Moana Tasi Project, a non-profit organisation dedicated to co-creating dignified and culturally grounded pathways with Pasifika communities through advocacy, environmental stewardship, legal empowerment, and storytelling. Her work seeks to reimagine ocean governance rooted in reciprocity, relationality, and community leadership - where law becomes a tool for protection and self-determination. 

With familial roots in Tuvalu and family across the South Pacific, Naima brings a lived understanding of the interconnectedness between people and ocean. She is deeply committed to working alongside communities to transform legal frameworks in ways that honor Indigenous knowledge systems, collective rights, and the oceanʻs inherent dignity. She now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with her daughter and husband.

Memberships & other Roles

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts (History and Political Science), Amherst College, Massachusetts (2018)

  • Juris Doctor, William S. Richardson School of Law - University of Hawaiʻi (Mānoa) (2023)

  • Master of Laws (LLM), International Environmental Law, University of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand (Expected 2025)

Examples of Legal Work

Naima’s work includes litigation support, legal research, and policy analysis across diverse jurisdictions, with a particular emphasis on amplifying Indigenous authority, protecting marine ecosystems, and advancing human rights in ocean-dependent regions. Notable works include:

  • Drafted, submitted, and successfully advocated for an advisory opinion from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on marine protection and human rights. 

  • Advised Indigenous communities and international conservation organisations on processes and mechanisms to formally acknowledge and incorporate Indigenous authority into their governance and management frameworks.

  • Conducted legal services to develop a litigation position and strategy relative to climate change and human rights impacts for countries in the South Pacific. 

  • Led legal and governance review of the enabling environment for human rights risk assessments in the PNA region, focusing on tuna fisheries workers and industry stakeholders. 

Publications

Speeches and pesentations

Media

Personal

Naima is guided by a world-embracing vision – one that values connection, community, and care across borders. She enjoys building relationships within her local community, taking long reflective walks along the beach or by the lake, and cherishing meaningful moments with her family.

Check out more publications, lectures, and videos on our
YouTube channel

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