Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service, Hon. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, officially opened the Pacific Public Service Commissioners’ Conference (Fono 2024) with a speech emphasizing resilience, collaboration, and Pacific-driven solutions to strengthen public service excellence across the region.
Welcoming the delegates, the Prime Minister highlighted the significance of Samoa hosting this year’s Fono. She noted that the theme, ‘A resilient workforce achieving public service excellence the Pacific Way,’ reflects the shared commitment to addressing challenges and meeting the development needs of Pacific nations. She underlined the importance of adapting to human capacity and resource challenges while ensuring quality services aligned with the cultural contexts of the region.
Prime Minister Mataʻafa linked the Fono’s objectives to the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, which envisions a resilient Pacific region characterized by peace, harmony, and prosperity. She also highlighted the alignment with the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) recently hosted by Samoa, which focused on fostering resilient societies through empowerment.
The Prime Minister commended the commitment of public service commissioners to collaboratively address challenges, describing their gathering as a testament to the region’s dedication to innovation and sharing solutions. She noted that the Fono’s approach reflects the true spirit of ‘fono,’ bringing together insights to create practical and collective solutions.
She also emphasized the critical role of public service commissions in shaping sustainable democracies and economies. Their responsibilities include planning for national human resource needs, developing effective policies, monitoring HR practices, and advising government ministries. These core functions, she said, are central to the mandates of public service commissions across the Pacific.
The Prime Minister expressed confidence in the expertise of the speakers and facilitators leading discussions over the next four days and urged participants to work toward tangible outcomes. She emphasized the importance of building capacity and enhancing information sharing to address shared challenges across the region.
Acknowledging the support of the New Zealand and Australian governments, as well as other development partners, the Prime Minister thanked them for their contributions to capacity-building initiatives. She encouraged attendees to take time to explore Samoa before returning home and officially declared the conference open.
Fono 2024, hosted at Taumeasina Island Resort, will continue over the next four days, providing a platform for dialogue and collaboration among Pacific public service leaders.
