Valmaine Toki, is the current Chair and Pacific Member of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and a Professor of Law, at Te Piringa, Faculty of Law, University of Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Professor Valmaine Toki was the first New Zealander and Māori appointed by the President of the UN Economic and Social Council to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Indigenous nominated representing the Pacific, where she served two three-year terms. Professor Toki is currently in her second three year term on the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, appointed as the first New Zealander and Māori by the President of the Human Rights Council.

Professor Toki holds a BA/LLB (Hons), LLM, MBA and a PhD. Her areas of teaching, research and writing lie within the recognition of Indigenous rights. She has written extensively within this area. Her current book “Indigenous Peoples, Climate Change, Data and measuring success ” includes a chapter on an Indigenous right to space as well as a chapter on Indigenous governance. Professor Toki works tirelessly on a myriad of Indigenous issues, including State obligations and building on her work with FAO on fisheries, Indigenous marine tools and protection of kaimoana (seafood).