LocationsStrengthening parliamentary leadership, capacity, accountability and legislative effectiveness through PPEI Phase III
Building a Stronger Parliament for Niue’s Future
October 9, 2026
Fale Fono, Parliament of Niue.
Photos: Laufaleaina Lesa, UNDP Samoa
A strong Parliament is ultimately about people. The people it serves and the people who serve it.
When we talk about Parliaments, we often think about institutions, buildings, laws and systems. But every parliamentary institution only works, if the people behind it fulfil their roles to ensure that citizens’ voices are heard, laws are scrutinised, public resources are considered and democratic processes function effectively.
In Niue, this people-centred approach is at the heart of efforts to strengthen the Niue Legislative Assembly, the Fono Ekepule, through the Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative Phase III (PPEI-3), funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Inside the Niue Legislative Assembly with Speaker of the House, Hon. Billy Talagi. Left: UNDP and Legislative Assembly staff (l-r) Laufālēʻainā Lesā, UNDP Communications Analyst; Dewi Okesene, Assistant Clerk, Niue Legislative Assembly; Louisa Apelu, UNDP Portfolio Coordinator; Hon. Billy Talagi; Faumuina Gaualofa Matalavea-Saaga, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative; and Melissa Talagi, Clerk, Niue Legislative Assembly. Right: UNDP Deputy Resident Representative (DRR), Paolo Dalla Stella with Hon. Billy Talagi, and Melissa Talagi, in a visit earlier this year by the DRR.
For the Speaker, Clerk, Members and staff of the Assembly, strengthening the institution is not only about improving procedures. It is also about building the capacity, systems and partnerships needed for the Parliament to serve Niue effectively, while reflecting its unique context, culture and aspirations.
As Speaker, Hon. Billy Talagi, reflected:
“In the Pacific, we don’t ‘agree to disagree’. This is not our way. We agree on one thing and move forward. In the canoe, all of us know where to go. We agree on where to go and we go there together. We paddle our canoe forward. We know how to guide ourselves. We need to return to that.”
His words capture an important Pacific perspective on parliamentary effectiveness, one grounded in collective purpose, dialogue, cooperation and moving forward together.
Building a more effective Parliament
Through PPEI-3, support to the Niue Legislative Assembly has focused on strengthening the autonomy and effectiveness of Parliament, including greater clarity around institutional roles, responsibilities and the demarcation of duties.
A major milestone was the four-day workshop, Parliament — Maximizing Effectiveness, held in Niue in August 2026. The workshop brought together parliamentary leadership and staff for practical discussions and exercises covering a wide range of issues relevant to the future of the Assembly.
The support provided covered a range of areas aimed at strengthening parliamentary effectiveness and institutional capacity. These included exploring current global parliamentary practices; advancing a gender-responsive Parliament and examining legislation through a gender lens; supporting the development of a Youth Parliament for Niue; strengthening strategic planning; and promoting integrity and accountability.
The work also explored the potential use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary processes where appropriate, alongside strengthening legislative scrutiny and introducing Post-Legislative Scrutiny, including mechanisms to monitor how adopted legislation is implemented in practice.
Rather than focusing solely on presentations, the programme combined facilitated discussions, practical exercises and action-planning — allowing participants to consider how international approaches could be adapted to Niue’s own parliamentary context.
The workshop helped strengthen awareness of contemporary parliamentary practices and generated several practical outcomes.
These included initial guidelines for establishing a Youth Parliament in Niue, strengthened understanding of gender-responsive parliamentary processes and legislative drafting, and discussions around the possible establishment of a Women Parliamentary Caucus.
Participants also explored how artificial intelligence tools could potentially support the work of both Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff.
The ‘Parliament — Maximizing Effectiveness’ workshop held earlier this year in Niue, under the PPEI-3 project.
Investing in the next generation
The timing of this work is significant.
Following Niue’s May 2, 2026 general election, seven women were elected to the 20-member Legislative Assembly, representing 35 percent of Members, and the highest number of women MPs in Niue’s history.
This progress in women’s representation provides an important foundation for continuing to strengthen inclusive parliamentary participation.
At the same time, meaningful participation by younger people remains an important priority.
The development of a Youth Parliament therefore represents an opportunity to help young Niueans better understand democratic processes, develop confidence in civic participation and see themselves as part of the country’s governance journey.
For a small island state, investing in the next generation of parliamentary leaders and citizens is an investment in the future of democratic governance itself.
The 13th Commonwealth Youth Parliament held in Australia in July 2026. Niue was represented by Isabella Fuhiniu and Hikuleo Laaina Vera Lui, under the PPEI-3.
Connecting Parliament beyond its walls
Strengthening Parliament also means strengthening its ability to connect — with citizens, partners and parliamentary networks across the Pacific.
As part of the New Zealand High Commission in Niue’s support, Zoom equipment was provided to the Niue Legislative Assembly, helping enhance its capacity for virtual meetings, remote engagement and knowledge exchange.
For a geographically remote Parliament, connectivity is particularly important.
The equipment provides practical support for the Assembly to participate in regional discussions, access technical expertise, connect with parliamentary counterparts and engage with partners remotely, reducing the need for travel except where in-person engagement is necessary.
It is a relatively simple intervention, but one that can have a much wider impact by helping ensure that Niue’s Parliament remains connected to the broader Pacific parliamentary community.
Seeing the bigger picture
Much of parliamentary strengthening happens behind the scenes.
It can be easy to focus on individual workshops, pieces of equipment, guidelines, meetings or consultations without immediately seeing how they fit into the bigger picture.
But taken together, these interventions contribute to a larger objective: building a Parliament that is more effective, inclusive, accountable, connected and responsive to the people of Niue.
That is the bigger picture behind PPEI-3.
It is also a reminder that every engagement is an opportunity to communicate the value of development partnerships and the results they are helping to achieve.
“Small legislatures such as Niue’s often face unique challenges, including limited access to specialized staff, heavy workloads for individual members, and resource constraints. Through the PPEI-3 partnership, targeted support is helping to strengthen oversight and accountability, improve the quality of legislation, and build institutional resilience. Equally important are the opportunities for peer-to-peer exchanges, which enable members and staff to share experiences, learn from best practices, and strengthen regional collaboration. The project will continue to facilitate these valuable opportunities whenever they are available.”
UNDP Assistant Resident Representative — Governance & Prosperity Unit, Faumuina Gaualofa Matalavea-Saaga.
The UNDP team with the Clerk and staff of the Niue Legislative Assembly.
A Pacific approach to parliamentary effectiveness
The experience of Niue demonstrates that strengthening Parliaments in the Pacific cannot be about applying one standard model everywhere.
Effective parliamentary development must respond to the realities, cultures and aspirations of individual Pacific Island countries while also creating opportunities to learn from one another.
Through PPEI-3, the work in Niue is helping build those foundations — strengthening parliamentary systems and capacity while supporting greater inclusion, innovation, connectivity and forward planning.
Ultimately, it comes back to people.
The people who sit in the Assembly.
The people who support its work.
The young people who will shape its future.
And the communities whose voices Parliament exists to represent.
As Hon. Speaker Talagi’s canoe analogy reminds us, the destination is important, but so is the ability to paddle together.
Through PPEI-3, Niue is strengthening the capacity to do just that: move its Parliament forward, together.
Written by Laufālē’ainā Lesā, Communications Analyst, UNDP Samoa Multi-Country Office
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