UN celebrates 80 years of international cooperation and shared purpose

Honourable Associate Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Representatives of civil society

Heads of UN Agencies and

Dear UN colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Very warm greetings to you all.

It is a great honour and priviledge to welcome you to this special celebration of United Nations Day 2025, marking 80 years since the founding of the United Nations.

Allow me to begin by expressing our sincere appreciation to the Associate Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Aiolupotea Misa Tony Aiolupo, for joining us today. Your presence, Honourable, reflects the Government of Samoa’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation – values that have long anchored our partnership and continue to guide our collective efforts for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development. 

Eighty years ago, in the aftermath of the Second World War, nations came together with courage and conviction to forge a new path – one grounded in peace, justice, human rights, and solidarity. The United Nations was born of that hope, with a solemn promise: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to uphold the dignity and worth of every human being.

Today, we face challenges that are different but no less urgent – from the climate crisis, to widening inequalities, to conflicts that test our shared humanity. Yet the vision that inspired the UN in 1945 remains as vital today as ever. The UN Charter – with its enduring principles of cooperation, equality, and collective security – continues to be our moral compass and our source of hope. 

In the eight decades since the UN’s founding, we have witnessed extraordinary progress:

• Billions of people lifted out of poverty,
• Women and girls gaining access to education and leadership,
• Dramatic reductions in child and maternal mortality,
• And here in the Pacific, communities leading the world in resilience and innovation in the face of climate change.

These achievements prove that multilateralism works. When nations and people come together -when we replace competition with cooperation and isolation with solidarity – we move humanity forward.

But we must also be honest: our world is at a crossroads.  Climate change knows no borders: its impacts are already felt from Apia to Alaska, from Tuvalu to Tokyo. The storms are stronger, the seas are rising, and the future of our children is at stake.

The choices we make today will determine whether we leave behind a planet that sustains life – or one that struggles to survive. No country can solve this alone. The climate crisis, and indeed every major challenge we face, demands global unity – the very essence of multilateralism.

Here in Samoa our partnership with the United Nations has a long and proud history. Samoa was among the first Pacific countries to join the UN soon after its independence in 1962. Since then, it has been a beacon of leadership – advocating for sustainable development, ocean governance, climate action, and human rights on the global stage. 

The United Nations is proud to stand alongside Samoa – supporting national priorities, strengthening institutions, and advancing the wellbeing of all Samoans. Under the Pacific UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027, we continue to work closely with the Governments of Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Together, we are tackling climate change, gender-based violence, non-communicable diseases and economic resilience – always guided by the principle of leaving no one behind. 

None of this would be possible without partnership. I wish to acknowledge the Government of Samoa for its visionary leadership, your ministries, civil society, youth and women’s groups, private sector and academia for their dedication and collaboration; and our development partners and donors for their steadfast financial and technical support.

And to our communities and local leaders here today, faafetai tele lava – thank you for your creativity, your energy and your trust. You remind us that the work of the United Nations is, at its heart about people – about your hopes, your families and your future. 

As we celebrate UN@80, let us remember that the United Nations is not a distant institution-it is us. It is we the peoples. It is every individual who believes in the power of compassion over conflict, in cooperation over competition, in unity over division.

Our strength lies in our shared humanity – in our ability to listen, to learn, and to act together.

So today, let us renew our commitment:

• To build peace where there is conflict,
• To protect the planet we share,
• To champion equality and human rights,
• And to leave a legacy of hope for the generations that will follow.

As we mark 80 years of the United Nations, let us not only celebrate the past – but also rededicate ourselves to the future: a future of peace, partnership, and progress for Samoa, for the Pacific and for our shared planet.

Fa’afetai tele lava. Thank you.