Samoa-UN Joint Steering Committee Meets to Strengthen Development Collaboration

The United Nations, in partnership with the Government of Samoa through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, held its first Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting today at Tanoa Hotel. The JSC provides strategic oversight and policy direction, guiding the implementation of UN programmes, monitoring progress, and ensuring that collective efforts align with Samoa’s national priorities.

The JSC brings together a broad membership including representatives from Government Ministries, Civil Society partners, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.  The main objectives of this first meeting were to review and endorse the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the JSC; discuss and endorse the Samoa Country Implementation Plan (CIP) 2025–2027, and agree on next steps to ensure effective coordination, collaboration, and monitoring across UN programmes in Samoa. 

The UN Resident Coordinator in her remarks highlighted the meeting as a key platform for strategic collaboration, noting that the JSC will guide Samoa–UN efforts, strengthen coordination, and shape future programmes to deliver tangible benefits for communities across Samoa. She also noted the complementary role of the Samoa Country Coordination Team (CCT), recently established to support programme coordination, joint monitoring, and reporting across UN agencies.

Representatives from the Government of Samoa reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with the United Nations to ensure programmes are streamlined and responsive to national priorities and community needs. Both parties emphasized the importance of meaningful dialogue, joint planning, and monitoring to maximize the impact of development interventions.

The meeting marks an important milestone in strengthening the strategic partnership between Samoa and the United Nations and will guide the next phase of joint programmes to support sustainable and inclusive development across the country.