🇼🇸Mulipola Anarosa Ale MoliooSamoa · UNGA 81 speech

O le atoa mo Samoa. O Samoa mo le atoa. Tapua i maia, malamanuia Samoa. Le atunuu pele. O le amomoli laumalilenga. President, let me begin by warmly congratulating His Excellency, Mr. Kalula Rahman, on his election as President of the 81st session of the General Assembly. The chosen theme for the General Debate, Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation, a United Nation that Delivers for All, could not be more timely. And it speaks to the reality of the world we face today. A world shaped by uncertainty, disruption, and rapid change, but also by hope, innovation, and opportunity. For Samoa, the theme is a promise the world must keep. Can trust be restored? Can transformation protect the vulnerable? The answer lies in the first words of our UN Charter, "We, the peoples." We must always put people at the center of our decisions. For us, this is underpinned by the core values of our Samoan culture, the fa'asamoa, and our faith, such as respect, dignity, love, protection, and service. Excellencies, every decision in this hall shapes the world that every child inherits. We meet at a pivotal moment in history. Profound and transformative changes are not only necessary, but inevitable. Across many societies, People are increasingly asking whether global institutions are delivering on the promises made to them. We must prepare ourselves to face the challenges ahead with resolve and use the opportunity to herald in much needed reforms for the benefits of all and leaving no one behind. For Samoa, Multilateralism remains the cornerstone of our international engagement. Only through genuine cooperation and mutual trust can we craft solutions that no single nation could achieve alone. The UN80 initiative has merits, but also its risks, if not fully assessed and understood. Any reform must strengthen delivery on the ground by eliminating duplication, improving coherence, and accelerating impact. Critically, such reforms must not weaken the operation of the UN multi-country offices or the resident coordinator system. We, Samoa, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the United Nations As the premier forum to address global crisis, we also caution against premature decision taken without the full consideration and endorsement by member states. Excellencies, climate change remains the single greatest threat to Samoa and the global community. Its impacts are more extensively felt by SIDS due to our special circumstances. As the ICJ advisory opinion puts it, climate change is not merely an environmental concern, but an existential problem of planetary proportion that require urgent global action. The United Nations General Assembly welcome the unanimous ICJ advisory opinion and affirm its importance as an authoritative contribution to the clarification of existing international law. Climate finance is the bridge between ambition and action. It must be scaled up, easily accessible, devoid of burdensome condition, and responsive to the needs of the most climate vulnerable. Resources intended for education, Health, water and social protection are now diverted to disaster recovery. Small nations are being asked to finance both development and survival. No nation should have to borrow its way out of a crisis it did so little to create. Excellencies, the world is facing a growing development financing crisis. The gap between commitments and delivery continues to widen. And too often, we simply rebrand and recycle old ideas while failing to deliver tangible progress. Meanwhile, multilateralism is under siege, and international financial commitments are being eroded. The current international financial architecture was designed for a different era. it struggles to adequately recognize vulnerability and fails to fully account for the realities faced by states. A fairer financial system is not only in the interest of developing countries, it is in the interest of global stability and shared prosperity. The implementation of the multidimensional vulnerability index, MVI, in financing decision making is essential if we are to genuinely address the financial challenges facing developing countries. We thank the Secretary General and UN DESA for their proactive efforts in moving this issue forward with international financial institution, IFIs. And we look forward to the pilot project to demonstrate that MBI can help developing countries in their financing challenges. On debt, we need to build a sustainable, equitable, and fair debt regime, starting with a robust mechanism for debt restructuring. Debt forgiveness must be linked to measurable progress on resilience building. and investment in resilience today will reduce the cost of disasters tomorrow. Samoa supports the incorporation of states contingent clauses in debt instruments, allowing for suspension during crisis. Excellencies, energy is both a driver and accelerator for Samoa's sustainable development ambition. Energy security has become a defining issue for many small island nations. While we have one of the highest shares of renewable electricity in the Pacific, Samoa remains heavily dependent on imported fuels. Successive energy crises and the 2026 fuel crisis exposed the economic cost of our energy dependence. We are working towards a whole of system transformation that delivers electricity that is reliable and affordable, reduces our dependence on imported fuels, strengthens resilience, and supports sustainable development. The clean energy transition is also an opportunity for Samoa to build a smarter, more resilient, and investment-ready energy system. The digital transformation, including AI and data analytics, offers real opportunities to drive an inclusive, just energy transition, particularly through off-grid solution and smarter energy planning. Excellencies, the ocean defines who we are as Pacific people. It connects us, sustains us, and shapes our identity. Yet our ocean faces increasing pressures from pollution, biodiversity loss, over-exploitation, and the impacts of climate change. Pursuing economic growth has come at a grave cost to our marine ecosystem. Coupled with unchecked exploitation of deep seabed mineral resources, our oceans face a crisis of limitless proportion. And these planetary changes have no middle ground. Weak governance frameworks threatens what remains. Without urgent action, small island states face a future without land and no usable ocean. It is time to transform how we value and interact with the ocean, from a resource we exploit to one we protect and cherish. and we must do more on this front. Samoa has ratified the BBNJ agreement, and we remain actively engaged in negotiations toward a global treaty on plastic pollution, particularly to protect our marine environment. We remain committed to implementing the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, the 2026 Pacific Island Forum Leaders Ocean Statements, and our own Samoa Ocean Strategy. These are critical to the implementation of SDG 14. Our maritime domain is increasingly exploited by transnational criminal networks involved in illegal trafficking, including illicit drugs moving through our region. Illicit drugs enter homes, harm young people, fuel violence, and place increasing pressure on communities and essential services. Excellencies, non-communicable disease represents one of the most serious development challenges to Samoa's public health and economic productivity. In response, we are shifting towards prevention through strengthening health literacy, reforming school nutrition and food environments, and early intervention programs. And this includes our Early Childhood Development Framework, a multi-sectoral roadmap to ensure every child from pregnancy to age five receives nurturing care, protection, and early learning. Excellencies. In many of our Pacific countries, our water systems are highly vulnerable to disruptions. These realities demand that the global water agenda fully recognize the special circumstances of SIDS. Samoa's priorities are fourfold. First, climate resilient water system must be scaled up urgently. Second, Access to finance must be significantly improved. And third, capacity and partnerships must be strengthened. And finally, we need a transnational water governance regime informed by the outcomes of the various water conferences held over the last eight years. Excellencies, Samoa remains a peaceful country. steadfast in our commitment to human rights and justice. We remain concerned by the ongoing wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran. The terrible loss of civilian lives, displacement of people, as well as the destruction of infrastructure and the environment is something we do not condone. The continued supply of weapons to fuel conflicts must end. We also reiterate our long-standing call for meaningful reform of the Security Council to ensure that it remains effective, credible, and representative of today's realities. It is imperative that the UN resolves disputes peacefully and strengthen international peace and security. The world needs a stronger commitment to peace. Not more division, not more conflict, and not more suffering. Excellencies, at its heart, Samoa's development journey is about investing in people. We are strengthening social protection, investing in youth, supporting women and persons with disabilities, and building a resilient economy. And these efforts are championed through our district development program, delivered across all 51 districts, empowering our communities. Our greatest source of resilience will not be our infrastructure or our institution alone. It will be our people, healthy, skilled, educated, and empowered. And this is why the aiga, or family, is at the heart of our pathway for the development of Samoa. Excellencies, I pay tribute to our outgoing Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for his steadfast leadership and enduring commitment to the United Nations. His legacy will continue to guide our collective efforts in advancing peace, dignity, and sustainable development for all. Excellencies, before I am a leader, I am first and foremost a mother. History may record our titles, but our children will inherit our choices. And this is why, now more than ever, that United Nations matters. We must continue to stand as one United Nations family. God bless Soifua Ma'ia Manuia.