The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, will visit Samoa from 21 – 23 August as part of his Pacific tour, preceding the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Tonga next week.
He will meet with the Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa.
With COP29 and the Summit of the Future on the horizon, the primary aim of the Secretary-General’s visit to Samoa and the broader Pacific region is to draw global attention to the profound impacts of climate change on Pacific communities. These communities are grappling with existential threats, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion, extreme temperatures, and an increasing frequency of natural disasters.
The visit will also showcase the resilience of Samoa, deeply rooted in fa’a Samoa—the Samoan way of life which encompasses customs, values, and social organisation.
The fa’a Samoa has been instrumental in how Samoan communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate-related challenges, such as the 2009 tsunami. The social cohesion within Samoa enabled swift resource mobilisation, with families sheltering displaced relatives and communities coming together to search for survivors and provide immediate aid. Fa’aSamoa is integral to strengthening the resilience of Samoan communities against climate change impacts and natural disasters.
On Thursday, the Secretary-General will visit the Aleipata district, one of the communities most severely impacted by the 2009 tsunami, and sea level rise, to witness firsthand its remarkable recovery.
Additionally, Guterres will attend the official handover of the new wing of the One UN House in Tuanaimato, a symbolic moment highlighting the solid partnership between the UN and the Government of Samoa.
The visit will further underscore Samoa’s leadership on the regional and international stage, demonstrated through its chairmanship of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and its active participation in global forums such as the SIDS4 Conference and COP negotiations.
This visit also marks a significant milestone, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the last visit by a UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in 2014 when Samoa hosted the Third UN International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Secretary-General Guterres’ visit reaffirms the UN’s unwavering commitment to addressing the critical challenges faced by Samoa and the broader Pacific region.
