HRH Princess Angelika Latufuipeka Tuku’aho represented the kingdom at the Launch of “I’m a Person Too” Campaign at UNESCO Ocean Literacy Pavilion in Nice, France yesterday, 9 June.
The "I’m a Person Too” campaign is an international initiative that seeks to grant legal personhood to whales, recognizing their intrinsic rights and complex emotional and social lives.
“This bold step is aimed at reshaping the global approach to marine conservation, giving whales the legal protections traditionally afforded only to humans and institutions. The campaign marks a revolutionary moment in ocean advocacy, aiming to enshrine the rights of whales in international law,” stated Tonga’s Ambassador to France, H.E. Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano, today.
“The campaign resonates deeply with the people of Tonga and with Her Royal Highness personally.”
It builds upon the vision of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who in 1978 declared the waters of Tonga a whale sanctuary—one of the earliest such declarations in the world, placing Tonga at the forefront of marine conservation in the Pacific.
Princess Angelika Latufuipeka affirmed Tonga’s enduring dedication to ocean stewardship and praised the campaign as a timely, ethical, and necessary evolution of how we see and protect these majestic creatures.
She further emphasized that recognizing the legal personhood of whales is not only an environmental imperative, but also a moral and cultural one—especially for Pacific Island nations whose identities are closely tied to the ocean and its inhabitants.
While in Nice, the Princess also had the honour of meeting with HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The two royals discussed their shared commitment to ocean conservation and the potential for strengthened collaboration between Monaco and Tonga in advancing marine protection initiatives globally.
