United Nations turns 77, Samoa celebrates

APIA, 25 October 2022 The United Nations turned 77 years old this year and members of the UN family in the Samoa Multi-Country Office gathered with faculty, students, partners, friends, and the media to celebrate the occasion at Lepapaigalagala campus. Over 100 people attended the event on Tuesday which was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor, Afioga Aiono Professor Alec Ekeroma. Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, Afioga Seu‘ula Ioane, represented the government of Samoa.

It was on 15 December 1976 that the General Assembly of the United Nations admitted Samoa as the 147th member of the UN. But Samoa’s relationship with the global body began two years after the UN was formed. In 1947, a petition for self-government was received by the United Nations from the people of Samoa. That same year, the first of a series of missions of the UN arrives in Samoa and answers “no” to the petition but suggests constitutional advances be looked into by Administering Authority. On the 1st of June 1948, the new flag of Western Samoa was raised to mark the establishment of a new Government system – a direct result of a recommendation by the UN Mission. Forty six years after becoming a member of the United Nations, the Samoa Multi-Country Office now hosts 15 UN agencies serving the development needs of Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau.

As of 2022, the Cook Islands, Niue, (and Kosovo), are the only states that participate in UN specialised agencies, but which are not member states of the UN nor observer states with the United Nations General Assembly. Tokelau has been on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since 1946.

In his opening remarks, Afioga Aiono Professor Alec Ekeroma, Vice-Chancellor and President of the National University of Samoa, expressed the hope that the student-led program will highlight and raise awareness among the student population and our future leaders, of the important work of the United Nations not only in Samoa but also across the globe.

Keynote address by Dr. Simona Marinescu, United Nations

Resident Coordinator, Samoa Multi-Country Office, from New York

Lau Susuga le Faafeagaiga, Lau Afioga le Minisitā o Ā’oga, lau Afioga Seu’ula Ioane, lau Afioga le Pule-sili o le Iunivesitē, Lau Afioga ‘Ai‘ono Aleki Ekeroma, le mamalu o faia‘oga ma le laumua, tainane le mamalu ‘ese‘ese ua aofia. ‘Ou te fa‘atalofa atu i le agaga fa‘aaloalo ma le loto fa‘afetai ona o lea ua tatou fa‘amanatu fa‘atasi se tasi o aso tāua mo le āiga o tagata soifua uma: o le Aso Fanau o Malo ‘Aufaatasi. Talofa! Talofa lava!

Honourable Minister of Education, Afioga Seu’ula Ioane, Afioga Aiono Professor Ekeroma, Vice Chancellor and President of the National University of Samoa, faculty, students, partners and friends. I greet you in a spirit of respect and gratitude as we gather to celebrate together a significant day for the family of man: the day the United Nations was born. Talofa! Talofa lava!

It is United Nations Day today, 24th of October in New York, 25th of October in Samoa, the day the United Nations Charter came into being as you will be aware. We celebrate today 77 years of political diplomacy, humanitarian response to save lives including throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic, and development action to advance peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet. A big part of the United Nations existence, the organisation has been present in Samoa and the Pacific serving alongside governments, civil society, academia, private sector, the communities everywhere to advance the cause of mankind. We have come into being to ensure the world never goes back to the chaos and devastation of wars. Yet we are farther than ever from achieving our goals. The world is at a breaking point with close to a billion people battling extreme poverty, many millions internally displaced by conflicts and disasters, many children out of school and families without the means to even send their children to education programs. All of humanity is facing the worst impacts of climate change, including in the Pacific, the blue continent of our hearts.

There is one response to the mounting challenges of our time: solidarity and unity in our commitment and action under the blue flag. I call upon you to join us on this journey. It is with us and with you, the younger generations, to stand up for life, peace and justice and for the future of our planet. Let us celebrate with hope and resolve to turn the page and change course for our planet at this time of social, economic and political distress, for peace and unity today and tomorrow. Soifua.

Ms. La-Toya Lee gave a short presentation on the work of the various agencies with offices in the UN Samoa Multi-Country Office. She pointed out that Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to sign the 2023-2027 Cooperation Framework.

Ms. Audrey Lee Hang spoke on behalf of the NUS Students Association. Her talk is reproduced below.

“Sustainable development goals (SDGs) include issues that we should not ignore because of their importance to our humanity.  They are often imbedded in the Secondary curriculum but here at NUS, and the courses that we take, we begin to understand and engage with the reality that if we do not participate in conversations, dialogues and research on SDGs, which we all know has great influence on our future, there is a great possibility that we will get left behind and we will become a liability for our society.  As young Samoans we cannot be passive participants of processes that are designed to develop our nation and planet. In turn of that thought, I’d like to express my deepest gratitude for the invitation to participate in this event, the effort to inform, the effort to include the youth, the students.

Because of unsustainable development youths have been left vulnerable in four aspects: health, employment, participation in climate action and governance.  Gender inequalities in education and the workforce are prevalent. Unemployment of youths is endemic, and there is little inclusion of youth in climate innovation and little involvement in governance. These are issues that hinder our engagement with people, our prosperity, our planet, peace in this chaotic world. We as youths recognise the significance combating unsustainable practices and enlightening the youths to become better leaders. The hope that this framework brings is as a byproduct, these issues are eliminated, and other issues important to us as well are addressed by 2027.

It is naive to continue to be compliant as youths in the development of our country, it is naive to lay these problems at your feet and hope that someone will fix it. Which is why I ask those in attendance the school board as well as the UN representatives to contemplate on establishing a Model UN program in NUS. There have been efforts made by the school directed to accomplish the SDGs, there are courses available in the university with the objective to combat gender based violence. The UNESCO Spotlight Initiative group and a Climate Action organisation Lanulauava. But I hope that implementing a MUN will encourage youths in NUS to take initiatives to lead a sustainable country. With a broader scope than just climate action and combating gender based violence. A platform for enlightened youths to become better leaders.”

Audrey Lee Hang

First year Science student (2024)

Peer 2 Peer Initiative / NUS-UNESCO Spotlight Initiative Activist