Fostering trustworthy relations for successful collaborations.

The UN Country Team in Samoa is setting 2023 to a successful start with its official weekly dialogues with the Government of Samoa.

The first dialogue held on the 3rd of February brought together the UN agencies serving Samoa to inform the Government of ongoing and new UN development support and to raise priorities for government advise and endorsement and issues for government support.

The dialogues are co-chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), Peseta Noumea Simi and Simona Marinescu the Resident Coordinator (RC) of the UN Multi-Country Office for the Cook Islands Niue Samoa and Tokelau.

The RC Simona Marinescu presented an overview of joint UN priorities that are coordinated and facilitated by the Resident Coordinators Office. The Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) stands ready to provide substantial support to Samoa’s chairmanship role of the Alliance of the Small Island States (AOSIS) in 2023. The RC is also committed to co-leading with the MFAT, Joint Steering Committee Meetings and leading the RCO in the provision of technical advise and support on human rights, peace and development,  socio-economic analysis, data management and strategic partnership where needed in government ministries.

An overview of the global Covid 19 pandemic and its impacts on Samoa was provided by the Head of the World Health Organisation in Samoa Dr Kim Dickson, with an update on vaccination procurement and technical support provided by Dr. Akshaya Mishra of UNICEF.

On climate change and environmental protection, the Resident Representative of UNDP Jorn Sorensen informed that UNDP is progressing with discussions with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on GEF 8 (Global Environment Facility) proposal. The UNESCO Director for the Pacific Office, Nisha, also updated the meeting on capacity-building activities for community tsunami readiness and for women scientists in water safety and resources. The UNEP represented by Kolone Tikeri updated the meeting on their Global Climate Fund projects and renewed partnership with the SPREP on their joint collaborations over environmental issues and development.

The UN Women National Coordinator Mele Mauala updated on the support of the UN Women to enable participation of officers from national ministries in international convening on gender equality. The UNFPA Assistant Resident Representative Sara Faletoese, informed on ongoing support to the Samoa Family Health Association and other partners and the progress of the Transformative Agenda on sexual and reproductive health of women and girls.

The Government was also informed of joint planning commitments of the UN Country Team not only to Samoa but to the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau, where the UNCT are working towards the validation and finalisation of Country Implementation Plans for the newly developed UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 for the Pacific.

These dialogues are important to keep the Government informed of UN plans and activities and it builds a trustworthy relationships and a pathway for the UN to implement relevant and quality programmes towards the development of Samoa.