Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt used Human Rights Day 2025 to call for a Samoa where human rights are lived every day, not spoken about once a year. He said the theme Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials reflects the basic foundations of how people learn, work, care for each other and build communities.
The Prime Minister referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on 10 December 1948, as a global commitment to dignity, equality and the rights of all people regardless of race, gender, religion, language or status.
He said Human Rights Day is a reminder of progress made and of the work still ahead. The theme connects with the final two pillars of the Apia Declaration from the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions held in Samoa in 2024.
He described the growing pressures faced around the world: rising inequalities, deepening poverty, extreme concentrations of wealth and power, and the environmental damage caused by unsustainable consumption and production. He said these conditions show that the current global economy is failing both people and the planet.
According to the Prime Minister, building a “human rights economy” means using governments’ human rights obligations to guide budget decisions so public education, health, social protection and other essential needs receive proper investment. It also requires systems that allow public access to information and create transparent, accountable and participatory budgeting. He said these priorities remain central to the Government of Samoa.
The Prime Minister also explained that human rights must be understood as lived realities. He said human rights exist when families care for elders, when children attend school, when people have clean water and healthy food, when workers have decent jobs with fair wages, and when citizens can take part in decisions that shape their lives.
He noted work already carried out by the Government, including the million-tala community development project that has supported district schools, hospitals, and community facilities such as pools and reserves. He said these investments are intended to reduce gaps in economic equality.
However, he acknowledged that disadvantaged groups, persons with disabilities, women, children and rural communities continue to face barriers. He said the responsibility of the Government is to ensure that human rights are accessible and meaningful in the daily lives of all Samoans.
Human Rights Day was described as a moment to recognise children, young people, and organisations across the country who continue to advance and protect human rights through their work.
The Prime Minister closed his remarks by encouraging Samoans to ensure that dignity, equality and fairness guide decisions made in homes, villages and at the national level. He said the goal is a Samoa where human rights are not only remembered each year, but lived every day.
The article is based on the Prime Minister’s Human Rights Day 2025 speech.
