KE AUPUNI UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2026
The Foreign Ministry
As the Foreign Minister for the Hawaiian Kingdom, I spend a lot of time traveling to other countries. My mission as the chief diplomat, which I accepted in the year 2000, is to represent the interest of our sovereign, independent nation in continuity. That means to build foreign relations, to make friends and to get the world to “see” us as a sovereign country. That requires dislodging the false narrative the United States has been selling to the world since 1893... and sharing our true story.
Over the years, I have made numerous trips to share our story and make friends at the places where the world’s nations congregate: primarily, the UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva. I also attend meetings of regional organizations such as the European Union in Brussels and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
In fact, I just returned a week ago from the Republic of Palau, where I attended the annual Leaders Meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum, a 55 year-old intergovernmental organization of 18 Pacific Island nations; and a meeting of the 15 year-old Polynesian Leaders Group (PLG) with 11 nations.
At a PLG meeting I attended in Tonga last October, the PLG accepted the Hawaiian Kingdom and Aotearoa (New Zealand) as observer-members of the PLG. This is the first time since 1893 that the Hawaiian Kingdom was acknowledged as a nation. No formalities, no fanfare, no public announcements. Just were glad to have Hawaii back in the family fold …
This did not happen suddenly. I started attending meetings in 2013 when I was invited by the late, H.E. Tony deBrum the great Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, to the PIF Leaders Meeting in Majuro. Since then, I have been a regular “attendee” (a polite gate-crasher?) of the PIF the PLG and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
But now that we are a member of the PLG, we are working on developing a formal relationship with the Pacific Islands Forum. This is important to us because going forward with actions in the wider international community like the United Nations will require active support from member states of the UN. Thirteen of the eighteen members of the PIF are member states of the United Nations.
Next week, I head to meetings at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Besides the formal meetings of the UN Human Rights Council (which since 2009 I’ve attended more than 3 dozen times), I’ll also be participating in several side-events with other peoples (Scotland, Alaska, Kashmir, Western Sahara, ) with similar issues to ours. And I’ll be meeting with ambassadors of diplomatic missions of several countries to update them on the progress we are making.
After Geneva, I’ll head to New York for meetings with the delegations from Pacific and other nations attending the opening of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Each trip I take and each meeting I attend brings us closer to triggering the significant actions we have been developing at the international level for a Free Hawaii. E kala mai (sorry) that I am a bit vague on details at this point, but you know how it is …
I must add, however, that each positive thought you have, each action you take to assert your sovereignty, each moment you live as a Hawaiian national, every time you show aloha, our nation grows.
Aloha ʻĀina —
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
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For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
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"Remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom, check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media."
PLEASE KŌKUA…
Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to thi s effort...
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• Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer service, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net
Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hawaiian Kingdom (since 2001)
