Samoa Tourism Authority
4.00pm, Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Lau afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo ma le Masiofo
Minisita ole Kapeneta
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Sui mamalu ole Palemene
Sui o Faasalalauga
Mamalu ole Valaaulia,
E momoli atu le faafetai I lo outou auai mai tatou te patipatia le amatalia o nisi o auaunaga mo le tatou taligamalo i le fonotaga mo Taitai o Malo o le Taupulega ia Oketopa e ala lea i le Faamau Faailoga o le Fonotaga CHOGM 2024 faapea lona upega tafaiilagi.
E le masani ona tatou mafuta ma talatalanoa ile Faalapotopotoga o Malo o le Taupulega ae o lenei tausaga o le a mafai ona aumai ai lea faalapotopotoga i Samoa faapea le Pasefika e ala i le fonotaga. Ua alaga tatau ai foi ona tatou faalauiloa lenei faalapotopotoga ua tele lona aoga i le fausiaina ma le poupouina o faigamalo a atunuu o loo avea ma sui o lea faalapotopotoga e pei ona tatou ulufale iai ile 1970. E 9 isi atunuu o le Pasefika o loo avea ma sui o le Faalapotopotoga a Malo o le Taupulega.
Ole aso 11 o Mati i tausaga taitasi e faamanatu ai le aso faapitoa mo lenei faalapotopotoga lea ua faailogaina lona 75 tausaga i lenei tausaga faatasi ai ma le faatupulaia pea o le numera o atunuu ua avea ma sui, e ui e iai nisi atunuu e lei iai i lalo o le vaaiga a Peretania i o latou tala faasolopito. O atunuu mai vaega eseese ole lalolagi e iai Aferika, Europa, Asia, Keripiane, o le atu Amerika faapea le Pasefika o loo omai ai sui o lenei faalapotopotoga. Mai le 56 o atunuu o loo fai ma sui auai o lenei faalapotopotoga o loo iai atunuu tetele ma malolosi tamaoaiga faapea foi ma atunuu laiti tauatiae.
O le amataga o lenei faalapotopotoga sa aofia ai na o atunuu sa vaaia pe avea ma kolone o Peretania. Peitai ile avea ai o le tele o atunuu ua mafai ona tutoatasi pulega, ua amata ai loa ona tatala tulaga e avea ai soo se atunuu ma sui auai e faavae lava i lana pule saoloto ma le faitalia e pei ona iai sui fou mai Aferika e iai Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon ma Togo, o malo e lei iai ni sootaga ma le malo o Peretania.
Lau afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo ma le Masiofo
Ministers of Cabinet and Parliament
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you most warmly for joining me this afternoon to launch the Samoa
CHOGM 2024 Logo and Website.
It is not very often that we gather to speak about the Commonwealth, but this year, we are bringing the Commonwealth to Samoa, and to our Blue Pacific continent. It is fitting therefore that we pay tribute to the Commonwealth of Nations, an important organisation that Samoa joined in August 1970, and which nine (9) other Pacific Islands Forum members are members of.
Commonwealth Day was celebrated two days ago on 11 March, commemorating the 75 th anniversary of its journey and growth as a unique family of independent countries from Africa, Asia, Caribbean and the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. With its diverse membership, the Commonwealth comprises the world’s largest to the smallest, and low-and high-income countries. Of the 56 members of the Commonwealth, 33 of the world’s 42 small states are members. Samoa and seven other Forum Island countries fall into this grouping of small states, comprising a mix of Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
The Commonwealth institution is unique, with its roots anchored in the British Empire. Over time, the modern Commonwealth of Nations was born as the Dominions and territories of the British Empire became independent. Membership today is based on free and equal voluntary cooperation, which is reflected in the recent membership of Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon and Togo, who have no historical ties to the British Empire.
Questions have been asked as to the relevance of the Commonwealth to Samoa, and more generally as a political association of states in the face of significant disparities in the distribution of wealth and economic benefits, impacts of climate disaster and COVID19. As well, increasing geopolitical divides threatens multilateralism and undermines international cooperation, and peace and security, political, social and environmental challenges abound. My list goes on, but you get the drift. We are diverse nations facing multiple and interlocking global crises that are multi-dimensional and complex in their scope and nature.
What, therefore, do we gain from being a member of the Commonwealth? What do we gain from hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting? Since independence, Samoa has gradually joined many multilateral and regional organisations to bolster our political and development relations that have helped realize our development aspirations. Equally important, however, are the roles and functions that political institutions like the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum play in our development. These organisations, like it or not, bring together the political leaderships of our countries to consider these very issues. For many of us, the Commonwealth has been a constant in our lives, seeking to promote and advance our shared goals of development, democracy, human rights, freedom, peace and the interests of vulnerable states for and on behalf of 2.5 billion of our citizens, in particular our youth, women and children, anchored in solidarity, and the values and principles expressed in the Commonwealth Charter.
Development does not happen in a vacuum. Political discourse is required to promote and advance growth and resilience across all sectors of development. In a rapidly modernising world, organisations like the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum will continue to play a pivotal role to ensure our discussions are inclusive, and that our decisions provide opportunities for all members of our society to contribute and benefit from it. The Commonwealth is a vital global partner for advocacy and support,
particularly for small and vulnerable countries like Samoa. Collectively, we have an opportunity to respond and to make a difference.
Our theme for the Samoa CHOGM 2024 is One Resilient Common Future:
Transforming our Common Wealth.
Our focus is on resilience, as a unifying approach that transcends the humanitarian, development, human rights, and peace and security pillars. The theme we have chosen will allow us to look at all the key pillars of the Commonwealth through a resilience lens. We strongly believe that we should focus on solutions and accelerated action. We speak from the collective experience of the Blue Pacific Continent, where our Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have declared climate change as the single greatest threat to the security and well-being of our people; where the ocean makes up 96 per cent of our Blue Pacific region; and where we are amongst the first to most immediately suffer the impacts of climate change.
This is not the first time that the Pacific has hosted a CHOGM, but it is the first time that a Pacific Island country like Samoa will host a CHOGM. Australia hosted CHOGMs in 1981, 2002, and 2011. New Zealand hosted in 1995. Vanuatu was scheduled to host the CHOGM in 2017 but rescinded its offer to host after Cyclone Pam devastated the country’s infrastructure in March 2015. These are the realities of our countries and it is why the Commonwealth Aiga is important to us.
As host and incoming Chair of the Commonwealth, Samoa has an important opportunity to bring a unique perspective to the table and to contribute and influence discussions on all aspects of political and socio-economic development.
Consistent with the spirit of our Commonwealth Aiga, and guided by the Fa’asamoa, the government and I and the people of Samoa eagerly anticipate welcoming the Commonwealth family to our island home and to our Blue Pacific Continent. We are working hand-in-hand with the Commonwealth Secretariat, with the invaluable support of our partners and the Commonwealth Family, to ensure a successful, productive and unique event, and to the further strengthening of the spirit of Commonwealth cooperation.
Before I conclude, I wish to acknowledge the collaborative work and contribution of all government agencies, the private sector and civil society organisations towards our preparations for CHOGM 2024.
The brand identity of our Samoa CHOGM 2024 has been developed, and we are here today to launch it. I wish to warmly congratulate Tauila Epati Tuumatavai for designing the winning logo for the Samoa CHOGM 2024 Logo competition that was launched last June. An event brand is usually the first thing that people will see, and remember. I believe that the Samoa CHOGM 2024 Logo connotes the values and principles of Samoa, the Blue Pacific and the Commonwealth and I look forward to how we can use this in our work going forward.
I wish to also congratulate Vodafone Samoa for its winning bid to develop the Samoa CHOGM 2024 Website. It is the starting point of an important communication tool for CHOGM 2024, providing information to the widest possible audience, beyond those delegations that will attend CHOGM. It is also an opportunity to showcase Samoa in all its finest, and to bring Samoa to those that may not be able to join us in October.
Thank you, Vodafone Samoa, for your assistance in the development of our website, and I take this opportunity to acknowledge the support and assistance provided by all our ICT personnel in this regard.
The CEO of my Ministry, Agafili Shem Leo and the Deputy CEO of MCIT, Leaso Ronny Aiolupotea will speak briefly to the Logo and Website.
Without further ado, join me, in this distinct honour and pleasure of launching the
Samoa CHOGM 2024 Logo and Website!
Soifua.
