New York

17 September 2023

Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Ms. Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa 

António Guterres, Secretary-General

The Secretary-General met with H.E. Ms. Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa. He welcomed Samoa’s chairmanship of the Alliance of Small Island States and emphasised that women and youth are on the frontlines of the climate fight and must play a role in decision-making and governance. The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister exchanged views on the need to scale up international support for Samoa’s development and financing needs, particularly climate resilient infrastructure, coastal and marine conservation and restoration and human capital formation. The Secretary-General also commended Samoa’s leadership in advancing the work towards a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and Loss & Damage fund, expressing the full support of the UN system to that end.