Beyond COVID-19 to a Brighter Future

As Samoa celebrates 58 years of independence on June 1st, we at the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, join in congratulating Samoa on reaching this milestone to its nationhood.

It is a privilege to be in Samoa at such a time as this because of the special nature and people that make up this wonderful place, but also a responsibility as Samoa, like the rest of the world, grapples with the new realities and changes brought about by COVID-19.

We relay our sincerest congratulations to all the people of Samoa for reaching 58 years of independence. This is indeed reason for celebration amid all the uncertainty, sadness and fear that has been brought about by one of the worst global crises we have known in recent times.

UNDP continues to pledge its support to the Government and people of Samoa in working with you all in helping to build a nation that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone.

UNDP’s work in Samoa
We at UNDP are privileged to contribute to the development of Samoa through our continued partnership with our key stakeholder, namely the Government of Samoa, through the various Ministries we work with.

Just last week, we signed a new project with the Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, the Third National Communications & First Biennial Update Report Project which will allow Samoa to continue its reporting duties under the United Nations Convention for Climate Change.

Additionally, UNDP continues to work with the Government of Samoa under the Green Climate Fund Vaisigano Catchment Project (GCF-VCP), Samoa’s largest climate change adaptation project to date. Valued at USD$57 million, the project aims to strengthen the adaptive capacity of people and infrastructure in the area, as well as reduce the exposure to climate risks of vulnerable livelihoods and infrastructure in the Vaisigano Catchment, laying the foundation for Samoa’s comprehensive programme on climate change-induced flood management.


On the digital innovation front, UNDP has worked with the Government of Samoa on the Digital Solutions for Samoa Initiation Plan. This stemmed from the Government of Samoa’s keenness to promote regional connectivity and collaboration in technologies, to capitalize on infrastructure investments to move towards a knowledge-based economy.

UNDP is also leading efforts, along with other United Nations agencies and the Government of India, under the Samoa Knowledge Society Initiative to ensure access to information and knowledge for all. This is in recognition of the fact that access to information and knowledge is a prerequisite for building inclusive knowledge societies, for it empowers people to make decisions, allows them to exercise their rights, be economically active, learn new skills and hold their governments accountable.

COVID-19 Assistance
During these testing times, UNDP is helping the Government of Samoa through the provision of “Reverse Transcription” Quantitative Polymerise Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) testing equipment through the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS). We are also working with other UN agencies to provide Socio-Economic Impact Assessment for Samoa from COVID-19, as well as offering support to people living with disabilities in partnership with Nuanua o le Alofa (NOLA).

Under the EU Spotlight Initiative, UNDP stands in solidarity with other UN Agencies to collaborate and support local government and non-government organizations by investing in innovative social support and financial mechanisms to strengthen the economic resilience of vulnerable women and their families in these challenging times. These include the activation of nationwide Free Virtual Helpline offering support to those affected by gender-based-violence, in-kind supply of personal protection equipment (face masks at household level) including hygiene products, basic medical supplies suited for household, and food voucher support for the most vulnerable at community level.  In addition, entrepreneurship opportunities are also provided for women including survivors of violence such as the SVSG Nofotane programme, young people, and persons with disabilities.

We acknowledge the work the private sector does as the engine of the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the value of partnerships and the important role the private sector can play in building back better, more resilient and inclusive societies. As such, one of the initiatives we are working in partnership with right now is with SkyEye Samoa to strengthen e-commerce platforms like the Maua App to increase vendor and buyers online.

Similar forms of assistance are in the pipeline.

The Human Development Report
The current global inequalities that COVID-19 has exposed have been well documented but were also alluded to in the 2019 Human Development Report, which highlighted that inequality has become a defining issue of our time.

There are warning signs global human development – which can be measured as a combination of the world’s education, health and living standards – could decline this year for the first time since the concept was introduced in 1990.

UNDP’s Administrator, Achim Steiner recently said the world has seen many crises over the past 30 years, including the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-09. Each has hit human development hard but, overall, development gains accrued globally year-on-year. COVID-19 – with its triple hit to health, education, and income – may change this trend.

COVID-19 has brought inequalities into much sharper focus. The drop in human development is expected to be much higher in developing countries that are less able to cope with the pandemic’s social and economic fallout than richer nations.

In education, with schools closed in many countries and with massive gaps in access to online learning, UNDP estimates that 86 percent of children in primary education are now effectively out-of-school in countries with low human development—compared with just 20 percent in countries with very high human development.

Determined, equity-focused interventions can help economies and societies rally, mitigating the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To a brighter future
The current global prognosis the world over, is grim. Lost revenues, reduced remittances, a volatile economy and a pressured health system are all part of the new normal.

However, Samoa is a country in a region that has weathered more than its fair share of natural disasters, health crises and social, economic and political challenges. Resilience is a fact of life in this part of the world. It is a way of life for many.

Innovative and creative solutions are what we’re after, and UNDP is pleased to note that our Samoa Multi-Country Office has been selected as one of the new sites for the prestigious UNDP Accelerator Labs. This is exciting news for Samoa!

The UNDP Accelerator Labs are a new service offering that works with people, governments, and the private sector to reimagine development for the 21st century. Through long-standing partnerships with national governments, we are creating a new capability for decision-makers to explore, experiment, and grow portfolios of mutually-reinforcing solutions to tackle complex challenges from multiple angles. This will also accelerate learning to achieve the Global Goals or SDGs by 2030, as marked by this Decade of Action we are now in.

As we mark Samoa’s 58th independence anniversary, may we continue to find hope and purpose in the midst of adversity. May our shared values and dreams propel us forward to a brighter future, without COVID-19.

Soifua ma ia manuia!

-ENDS-