Government of Samoa

05/30/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/29/2023 16:39

HON. FIAME NAOMI MATAAFA, PRIME MINISTER of SAMOA’s ADDRESS: OPENING SESSION OF 79th ESCAP ANNUAL MEETING

Madam Chair, Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen

The Pacific Islands occupy a vast oceanic region that covers almost 20 percent of the Earth's surface and is home to the world's largest concentration of microstates. According to renown Pacific writer Epeli Hauofa; 'Oceania is us, we are the sea, we are the ocean; We should not be defined by the smallness of our islands but by the greatness of our Oceans."

For the Pacific region and its island countries, the ocean is crucial. Exercising a sense of common identity and purpose linked to the ocean, has been critical for protecting and promoting the potential of our shared Pacific Ocean. It is this commonality of the fundamental essence of the region which has the potential to empower it through collective and combined agendas and actions. The Blue Pacific narrative strengthens the existing policy frameworks that harnesses the ocean as a driver of a transformative socio-cultural, political and economic development of the Pacific. Moreover, it gives renewed impetus to deepening Pacific regionalism. We know that we can do more together than alone.

Subsequent to the Pacific Leaders 2019 meeting in Tuvalu, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent was endorsed. A strategy that reinforces commitment and working together as a collective for advancing Pacific regionalism based on the Blue Pacific Narrative, It is premised on the firm recognition of the strategic, cultural, and economic value that our Blue Pacific region holds and our shared commitment to protect and leverage this value. And it seeks to achieve sustainable development, Inclusive economic growth, strengthened governance and security

The 2050 Strategy also expresses the political ambition of our Leaders' to navigate the Pacific through the global and regional geopolitical forces that impact on our region's ability to achieve development impact for its people. In this context, development actors need to work with us and understand the politics of development in our region, and seek to engage with us in a way that supports our agency and leadership on sustainable development. As well, it emphasises Pacific leadership and ownership on regional opportunities and challenges.

Pacific Island Leaders have nonetheless recognized the need for a new inclusive and game changing approach to Pacific regionalism that can not only realize the unmet development needs of Pacific Island peoples, but also meet the demands of the new global development paradigm. At the heart of this new approach is an emphasis on inclusive policy development and implementation, as well as recognition of the political dimension for ensuring development outcomes for the Pacific.

Chair,

While Pacific Islands countries vary widely in population, economic circumstances, development, political status, and stability, they face several common challenges, each amplified by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pervasive impacts of climate change.

Climate change remains the single greatest threat to the wellbeing, livelihoods and security of Pacific peoples. Taking into account the insufficient global response to limit temperatures below 1.5°C, as a small island developing state as well as the Chair of the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS), Samoa will continue to advocate for ratcheting up ambitious targets and urgent follow through, in the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions.

For Samoa, we aim to reach a target of 100% electrification through renewables by 2030 and to promote urgent and inclusive transformation of the land and maritime transport sectors towards decarbonisation. The Pacific persist in urging major emitters, to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies and accelerate actions towards transitioning to low Greenhouse Gas emission, climate-resilient economies.

Climate financing is crucial to ensure transformational investments in order to achieve the net zero by 2050 goal; however, we cannot achieve that if funding for the root causes of climate change is exponentially greater than investment in appropriate response to climate change.

As ocean states, we firmly support placing ocean sustainability at the core of SDG14. We are united to prevent and eliminate marine pollution, including plastics, oil spills, discharge of waste and nuclear contaminants. The magnitude of the plastic pollution crisis is so enormous that we need to reduce, redesign, create demand for recycle content and put basic infrastructure for collection in place. All these initiatives require our collective sustained and common action.

The Pacific SIDS contribute less than 1.3% of mismanaged plastics pollution in the world's ocean yet are grossly and disproportionally affected by its impacts. The 2nd World Ocean Assessment pointed out the highest quantity of floating plastics are home in the South Pacific's subtropical gyre. Therefore we welcome the decision to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution including in the marine environment and building on the lessons learnt from the BBNJ process, on both time and resourcing.

As a global industry, shipping is responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The monitoring and enforcement of MARPOL is weak, and violations are frequent. The resolution against shipping pollution sponsored by the Republic of the Marshall Islands reinforces the role of flag states in tackling marine pollution from ships and must be supported and implemented.

Samoa welcomes the call for protecting 30% of our global oceans by 2030 and commend the Blue Leaders 30 x 30 campaign.

Sea-level rise will impact adversely on food security and nutrition, including what we are entitled to exploit from our maritime zones. We welcome the work within UNCLOS and the recent conclusion of BBNJ negotiations. We are concerned that the increased acidification of our Ocean and the resultant Reef damage will affect the fisheries upon which we rely; a stark reminder of how interconnected the effects of climate change are, with our environments, and our daily lives.

Chair,

What must we do with great urgency? The Pacific region including our regional organisations remain focused on building resilience to climate change and reversing environmental degradation; committing to more ambitious mitigation and adaptation actions; protect BBNJ and tackle biodiversity loss to name a few priorities. Our daily realities push us to prepare for and respond to disasters; invest in green growth, circular economies and renewable energy.

Since the advent of the COVID pandemic in early 2020; all our Pacific SIDS had prioritized the safety and health of our people over economic considerations. Though a hard decision to take considering the resultant economic challenges that followed, many of us were able to keep COVID 19 at bay. We call on our development partners to work with us in determining the best recovery strategies that fit our vulnerability and economic potential.

Small island developing states simply cannot support their SDGs and at the same time fund core needs on their own. Development cooperation systems must be more responsive to the constantly changing realities and development emergencies we face daily. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these structural vulnerabilities and compounded risks. Consequently, the call for and endorsement of a multi-dimensional vulnerability index (MVI) and implementation will allow for the inclusion of more than just income-based criteria to assess eligibility for concessional finance. This will be welcomed support to address debt burdens, overcome economic shocks and simultaneously safeguard the progress made on the 2030 Agenda, Paris Agreement and the SAMOA Pathway.

Samoa appeals to all our partners, to walk with us in realizing the timely and effective implementation of the MVI.

THANK YOU

May 30, 2023