In the lead-up to International Women’s Day on March 8, the United Nations Resident Representative in Samoa, Ms. Nileema Noble, acknowledged the important steps taken by the Government to empower women. “Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to sign the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” she said, ahead of a two-day summit organized by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development to review progress towards the advancement of women in Samoa. The Government summit, which starts today (March 8) in Apia, brings together national ministries and departments, civil society and the private sector to assess achievements and challenges on Samoa’s National Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women. But, with less than five years to achieve the globally agreed MDG Goals, national commitments on reducing the opportunity gap between men and women in employment, political representation and ownership of assets, remain significant. To meet these challenges sustained and unwavering political leadership is absolutely critical, Ms Noble said, and everyone could reap rewards. “The Samoan economy stands to benefit greatly from the wider participation of women in the workforce and decision making.  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) studies in Asia-Pacific region have indicated that GDP of a country could increase by 2-4% annually if women’s employment were to increase to 70%,” Ms Noble said. read more

Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Inception Workshop, 29 June - 3 July 2009, SPREP Training Centre, Vailima, Samoa. Opening Remarks by Ms. Naheed Haque, UNDP Resident Representative
Thank you, Reverend, for the spiritual blessings as it is important that we remind ourselves of our responsibilities to look after the wonderful work of our Creator. Thank you, Acting Director of SPREP for the warm words of welcome. SPREP is such an appropriate place to hold this workshop – this wonderful environment with its native flora and fauna and the cool breeze and fresh air – is exactly the place to reflect on the beauty of nature and how we can preserve it for our future generations. read more

By: Peniamina D Leavai. July 8, 2009
The Government of Samoa in partnership with UNDP held its first National Climate Change Summit from the 28-29 May 2009.  It proved successful in meeting its objectives.  These were to engage a wide range of stakeholders to share information and climate change experiences; inform on actions undertaken in the implementation of climate change programs and policies in Samoa.  It was also to share lessons learned and discuss ways forward for harmonizing climate change programs and lastly, to establish the summit as an annual event.  read more

The 2009 UNDP Staff Retreat was full of excitement, fun, enrichment, empowerment, rewarding, relaxing, laughter, some ‘chose’ tears of silence most full of joy.  Ms. Naheed Haque, the Resident Representative complimented the retreat as a success in that all staff contributed ‘active and enthusiastically’. These and many other ‘emotional deposits’ and ‘withdrawals’ from each and every staff’s ‘emotional bank accounts’ described the success of the 3-day event. read more

Volunteering in Samoa and promoting environmental sustainability is this year’s theme for the 2008 International Volunteer Day (IVD). International Volunteer Day, which falls on December 5th, 2008, is an opportunity for volunteers from all walks of life to stand up and celebrate their efforts whether they are individuals or organisations, for a better Samoa.This year the celebrations for the International Volunteer Day took place on Saturday, December 6th at 8:30am at the Fale Pulenu’u in Apia (behind Town Clock) and by the Fiame Faumuina Mulinu’u II (FFMII) Building (the main Government Building in central Apia).Read more

The participants sat in a circle, each leaning in to listen. The room was silent except for the soft words of Peati, as she told her story of the stigma and discrimination she has suffered as an HIV positive woman in Samoa.  She told of how she lost her husband and her young son to the disease, and spoke of how she was shunned by both her family and her husband’s family. This was just one of the sessions that UNDP staff participated in on the UN HIV and Condom Awareness Day, held on Friday 31st October 2008.  Staff from UNDP as well as from other UN agencies WHO, UN RC Office, UNDSS, UNICEF/UNFPA and UNESCO came together to participate in six learning sessions, and were joined by some family members as well as staff from the Australian and New Zealand High Commissions; making 41 attendees altogether. read more

This year’s United Nations Day celebrations held on Saturday the 25th of October in front of the MDG Scoreboard, saw the United Nations family of agencies in Samoa, government ministries and non-government organisations unite to promote and celebrate their work in Samoa and the Pacific towards promoting and achieving the United Nations ideals and goals including the Millennium Development Goals. The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Taua Kitiona Seuala who spoke on behalf of the Prime Minister of Samoa officially opened the Fair. Entertainment was provided by community members from the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Samoa who represented 3 of the 4 countries under the United Nations System in Samoa. read more

ICT practitioners and policy-makers from the Pacific and around the world gathered recently in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, for the seventh annual PaciINET conference. Opened by the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, the Right Honourable Jim Manurai, the conference ran from the first to fifth of September 2008, and was also the Annual General Meeting of the Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC). The ICT Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister was tasked with preparations, and UNDP was one of the funding supporters of the conference through its e-government project in the Cook Islands. read more

The SBAA contains the provisions, which have been approved by the Governing Council of UNDP on behalf of all member states. The agreement replaces the provisions contained in various previous agreements, notably the Technical Assistance Agreement (signed by Samoa on 20 January 1962), the Special Fund Agreement (signed by Samoa on 5 June 1963), the Standard Agreement on Operational Assistance (signed by Samoa on 20 January 1970), and the agreement on the provision of support services by UNDP to nationally executed projects (signed by Samoa on 28 September 1998). Signing the SBAA by the Government replaces all these agreements, and precludes the need to negotiate separately the legal arrangements for each single project, and the conditions governing the provision of assistance. complete press release

Last updated Monday, March 8th, 2010

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United Nations Development Assistance Framework download document

UNDP Strategic Plan 2008 - 2011

MCPD Inspired by UNDAFdownload document
Three UN Resident Coordinators appointed by the UN Secretary General to represent him in the Pacific are located in Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea. read more 

UNDP Support to "One UN"
UNDP coordinated the UN Operations Management Team and substantively contributed to the 4 UNDAF Outcome Groups on Economic Growth, Governance, Equitable Social Services and Environmental Management. read more

UN Partnership in Achieving the MDGs
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, High Level Meeting on Food Security for All, Madrid January 27th 2009. read more 

Results Oriented Annual Report (ROAR) 2008