Samoa has called for stronger international cooperation, fairer climate financing and renewed commitment to peace during its address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo told the General Assembly that the world was facing growing uncertainty, disruption and rapid change, but said global institutions must continue to place people at the centre of decision-making.
She said multilateralism remained central to Samoa’s international engagement and argued that reforms to the United Nations must improve delivery on the ground without weakening the UN’s presence in small island states.
Samoa also warned that climate change remained one of the greatest threats facing the country and other small island developing states.
Mulipola said climate finance must be easier to access, less burdened by conditions and more responsive to vulnerable countries, noting that money intended for education, health, water and social protection was increasingly being redirected toward disaster recovery.
“No nation should have to borrow its way out of a crisis it did so little to create,” she told the Assembly.
She also called for reform of the international financial system, saying existing arrangements did not adequately reflect the vulnerability of developing and small island nations.
Samoa supported greater use of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index in financing decisions and called for a fairer debt regime, including stronger debt restructuring mechanisms and provisions allowing repayments to be suspended during crises.
Energy security was another focus of the address.
Mulipola said Samoa continued to depend heavily on imported fuel despite having a high share of renewable electricity in the Pacific.
She said the 2026 fuel crisis had exposed the economic cost of that dependence and that Samoa was working toward a more reliable, affordable and resilient energy system.
She also pointed to digital technology, artificial intelligence and data analytics as tools that could support Samoa’s transition to cleaner energy and improve energy planning.
The Deputy Prime Minister also spoke about threats facing the Pacific Ocean, including pollution, biodiversity loss, over-exploitation, climate change and the possible unchecked exploitation of deep-seabed mineral resources.
She said Samoa remained committed to ocean protection, implementation of its national ocean strategy and international efforts aimed at reducing plastic pollution.
Mulipola also warned that transnational criminal networks were increasingly exploiting the Pacific maritime region for illegal trafficking, including illicit drugs.
She said drugs were entering homes, harming young people, fuelling violence and placing increasing pressure on communities and essential services.
Health was also raised as a development concern.
Mulipola described non-communicable diseases as one of Samoa’s most serious public health and economic challenges and said the Government was placing greater emphasis on prevention, health literacy, school nutrition, early intervention and early childhood development.
On international conflict, Samoa said it remained concerned about the ongoing wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.
Mulipola said Samoa did not condone the loss of civilian lives, displacement of people or destruction of infrastructure and the environment.
“The continued supply of weapons to fuel conflicts must end,” she said.
She also repeated Samoa’s call for reform of the UN Security Council and said the United Nations must remain focused on peaceful dispute resolution and international security.
“The world needs a stronger commitment to peace. Not more division, not more conflict and not more suffering.”
Mulipola said Samoa’s development programme remained centred on people, including investment in young people, women, persons with disabilities and local communities through the district development programme.
She said Samoa’s greatest source of resilience would ultimately be its people rather than infrastructure or institutions alone.
“Our greatest source of resilience will not be our infrastructure or our institution alone. It will be our people healthy, skilled, educated and empowered.”
She said the aiga remained at the centre of Samoa’s development pathway.
Closing her address, Mulipola said her responsibilities as a mother also shaped the way she viewed global leadership.
“History may record our titles, but our children will inherit our choices.”
She said the United Nations remained important in a period of increasing global division and called on countries to continue standing together as one international community.
