Alexander Teabo is an I-Kiribati politician currently serving as the Minister of Education of Kiribati since 2020. Alongside that, he's serving as a Member of the Parliament of Kiribati from the

Butaritari Butaritari is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on th ...

constituency since 2007 and has formerly served as the Minister of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development from 2016 to 2020.

Career

Alexander Teabo was first elected to the Parliament of Kiribati in 2007, as a Member of the Ninth Parliament representing the

constituency. In 2012, he was reelected and his term ended in 2015. In 2016, Teabo was reelected, as a Member of the 11th Parliament this time. That year, he became the Minister of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development. In 2020, Teabo was reelected as MP and appointed as the Minister of Education of Kiribati. In the 2024 Kiribati parliamentary election, his seat wasn't contested.

Political views

In 2024, Teabo approved of and defended President

Taneti Maamau Taneti Maamau (born 16 September 1960) is an I-Kiribati politician who has served as the fifth president of Kiribati since 2016. A member of the Tobwaan Kiribati Party, his policies are targeted at strengthening Kiribati's weak economy and alle ...

's controversial removal of High Court Judge

David Lambourne David Lambourne (born 20 March 1967 in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian judge on the courts of Kiribati since 1995, first as Kiribati People's lawyer (1995–1999), solicitor general, then, since July 2018, as puisne judge Justice in the J ...

from his position during the 2022 Kiribati constitutional crisis. A

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

expert criticised the move by Maamau and called it a "major setback for justice".

Climate change

Teabo has emphathised the damage Kiribati suffers from

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

and its need to have monetary contributions to the Pacific Climate Resilience Facility regarding the issue.

China policy

In 2019, according to the "

One China ''One China'' is a phrase describing the relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) based on mainland China, and the Republic of China (ROC) based on the Taiwan Area. "One China" asserts that there is only one ''de jure'' Ch ...

" policy, Kiribati switched its diplomatic relations from the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

to the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(PRC). Teabo supported and defended this change in Kiribati's foreign policy, stating that Kiribati is just to "follow the world". He blamed the opposition to the PRC on "agenda from somewhere".

West Papua and New Caledonia

Sympathising with indigenous people of West Papua, Teabo called them brothers. Regarding the 2024 New Caledonia unrest, he foresaw the independence of New Caledonia from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teabo, Alexander Date of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of the South Pacific alumni Education ministers of Kiribati Government ministers of Kiribati Members of the House of Assembly (Kiribati) 21st-century I-Kiribati politicians