Gerald M. Zackios (born 1965) is a Marshallese politician and diplomat. He was a member of the

Legislature of the Marshall Islands The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in nineteen single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 20, 2023. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially nonpar ...

(Nitijeļā) from 2000 until 2012. During this period he was Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands from 2000 until 2001 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 until 2007. He serves as the Ambassador of the Republic of the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

since June 2016.

Life

Zackios was born in 1965. In 1985 he started working as a fiscal officer for the Department of Aging in the Ministry of Social Services. After holding the position for two years went to study at the

University of Papua New Guinea The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired ...

, where he obtained a bachelor of law degree in 1989. Zackios then returned to the Marshall Islands where he worked as Assistant

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

from 1990 to 1992. While working in this position he also studied at the International Maritime Law Institute in

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

. He graduated with a master's degree in International Maritime Law in 1992. Zackios was subsequently promoted to Deputy Attorney General. He held this position from 1992 to 1995. He then served as Acting Attorney General until his appointment as Permanent Attorney General in 1996. Zackios worked as Attorney General until he won a seat in the

(Nitijeļā) for

Arno Atoll Arno Atoll (, ) is a coral atoll of 133 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only . Unlike most other atolls, Arno encloses three different lagoons, a ...

during the 1999 Marshallese general election. He served as Minister in Assistance to the President under President Kessai Note from 2000 until 2001. Zackios further served in Note's cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 until 2007. While member of the Nitijeļā Zackios was Chief Negotiator for the

Compact of Free Association The Compacts of Free Association (COFA) are international agreements establishing and governing the relationships of free association between the United States and the three Pacific Island sovereign states of the Federated States of Micronesia ( ...

between the Marshall Islands during the renegotiations which lasted between 2001 and 2004. He also helped negotiate a deal with the United States that extended its use of the

Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site The Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, commonly referred to as the Reagan Test Site (formerly Kwajalein Missile Range), is a missile test range in Marshall Islands (Pacific Ocean). It covers about and includes rocket launch s ...

until at least 2066. He was Vice Speaker in the Nitijeļā between September 2011 and January 2012. After having served three terms Zackios lost his seat during the 2011 Marshallese general election after postal ballots from the United States were counted. Upon his departure from the Nitijeļā, Zackios subsequently started his own

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

. Between January 2012 and July 2013 he practised law. He then became Regional Director for the

Pacific Community The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories around the Pacific Ocean. The organisation's hea ...

North Pacific Regional Office in Pohnpei,

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (, abbreviated FSM), or simply Micronesia, is an island country in Micronesia, a region of Oceania. The federation encompasses the majority of the Caroline Islands (excluding Palau) and consists of four Admin ...

. Zackios remained in that position until he was appointed as ambassador of the Marshall Islands to the United States. He was sworn in as ambassador to the United States on 20 June 2016. He presented his credentials to President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

on 16 September 2016. In autumn 2019, leaders of the five

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of approximately 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Poly ...

n countries, consisting of the Marshall Islands,

Nauru Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies within the Micronesia subregion of Oceania, with its nearest neighbour being Banaba (part of ...

Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...

Kiribati Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...

and the

, made Zackios their nominee to succeed Meg Taylor in the position of Secretary General of the

Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to enhance cooperation among countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 197 ...

. In September 2020 the five leaders stated there should be no more delay in electing the successor of Taylor and that they still backed Zackios. By October 2020 Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) threatened to leave the organization if Zackios was not selected, with FSM President David W. Panuelo stating they had made a

gentlemen's agreement A gentlemen's agreement, or gentleman's agreement, is an informal and legally non-binding wikt:agreement, agreement between two or more parties. It is typically Oral contract, oral, but it may be written or simply understood as part of an unspok ...

for sub-regional rotation for the position of Secretary General. In February 2021, after

Henry Puna Henry Tuakeu Puna (born 29 July 1949) is a Cook Islands politician. He most recently served as the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum from May of 2021 to 2024. He was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from November 2010 to October 2 ...

was instead elected to the post with the support of Australia and New Zealand, the five Micronesian countries withdrew from the Forum.

Personal life

Zackios was married to Viola Milne. Apart from his Marshallese citizenship he is a citizen of

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zackios, Gerald 1965 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Date of birth missing (living people) Ambassadors of the Marshall Islands to the United States Ministers of foreign affairs of the Marshall Islands Members of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands Ministers in assistance to the president of Marshall Islands University of Papua New Guinea alumni International Maritime Law Institute alumni