Ambassador Elisaia,
Ms. Perina Sila, CEO and National Coordinator for the SIDS Conference
Mrs. Peseta Noumea Simi, Chairperson for Samoa Committee on Partnerships
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me start by joining Ambassador Elisaia in welcoming all of you to this Joint Event.
I also want to thank the Host Government for organizing this event in a “Pacific Island” mode, enriched with a fantastic cultural performance.
I want to extend a warm “Thank you” to all the performers. You have certainly created the Pacific Island atmosphere for this briefing.
Indeed, it is a fitting setting for bringing delegates and other participants up to date on what is happening on the ground in Apia, Samoa.
And our Samoan colleagues, who have just arrived over the weekend, will provide you with the latest.
From the Secretariat perspective, I am pleased to report that all the organizational and programmatic preparations are on track.
The Host government and the Secretariat, working together on the Pre-Conference activities, are finalizing the details of the Private Sector Forum, the Youth Forum, the Major Groups and other Stakeholders Forum and the Renewable Energy Forum. These should be made available on-line shortly.
Under the guidance of the Bureau and with support from the UN system organizations, we are also finalizing the arrangements for the six multi-stakeholder partnership dialogues.
Information on the scheduling and clustering of the dialogue sessions is already available on-line. In the coming weeks, we will add additional program details, including those on how to participate in interactive discussion, once the Bureau has approved them.
The Secretariat has also prepared six substantive "SIDS Partnerships Briefs" in consultation with the UN System, as a contribution to the preparations of the partnership dialogues. These are also available on-line.
I am also delighted to inform you that we have received more than 100 applications for side and parallel events – beyond our expectations. The Secretariat is working with the Host Government and the UN country team to facilitate the organization of these events. The organizers will be hearing from the Secretariat shortly – some have already.
We are confident a series of well-organized side and parallel events will contribute to the success of the Conference by providing additional space for sharing ideas, experiences and lessons learned.
I am also pleased to announce that, up to this moment, 24 UN system organizations and entities have registered to attend the Conference, including 21 Executive Heads and 3 Deputies.
The Secretary-General himself will chair a CEB meeting on Monday, 1 September. The high-level participation of the UN system bears testimony to the commitment of the UN system to the sustainable development of SIDs.
Dear Colleagues,
An international conference involves intensive preparations and wide-ranging activities. I want to take this opportunity to thank our Host, the Samoan government, for its strong commitment to the success of the Conference and for the energy, dynamism, enthusiasm and hope it has injected into the preparatory processes and the Conference. The success of Samoa in its sustainable development in recent years is an example of the success of partnerships – the S.A.M.O.A Pathway.
I am deeply appreciative of the leadership of Samoa in advancing the spirit and concrete progress of partnerships. I am also grateful to various partners, developed and developing alike, along with major groups and other stakeholders, for supporting partnerships through concrete actions.
Before I conclude, I want to thank my team. The Secretariat focal points for partnerships, major groups, side and parallel events, the pre-conference activities, and the logistics, are all here with me today. They are ready to answer any queries you may have, this afternoon or during the rest of the PrepCom.
Thank you.