Small Grants for Environment Projects in Savaii

Around fifty participants from Savaii representing community-based women’s committees, men’s committees, village councils, youth, civil society and non-governmental organisations gathered on Wednesday, 3 May at the Savaiian Hotel to attended the Operational Phase 6 of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small...

Empowering communities to save the environment

The opening of the first of two capacity building workshops planned for Upolu and Savai’i respectively for the Operational Phase 6 of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) was held this morning at the TATTE Convention Centre. In his keynote address to the Workshop, Prime Minister...

Agriculture to Help Reduce Youth Unemployment

A technical cooperation project aimed at strengthening the capacity of Samoa youth for employment in the agriculture sector has been launched in Samoa.  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as well as the Ministry of Women, Community and...

Life Changing Opportunities for Samoan Youth

Abe Faletagoai was following his father’s footsteps as a carpenter when he realised that he wanted to try his hand at something different. As he had always enjoyed cooking for his family, he jumped at the opportunity to further improve his cooking skills when he saw a TV advertisement inviting youths to apply...

Choosing Organic Farming for Brighter Future

Mr. Iese Palauni Matai’a, recently graduated from a three months training - the Organic Warriors Academy - where he learned about composting, field planting, common pests and value-adding processing. With his new skills in organic farming, Mr. Matai´a now plans to focus on planting herbs and spices to supply hotels...

Achieving SDGs with the help of Science

A high level Dialogue on Science and Science Policy for the SDGs in the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) organised by UNESCO took place on 29 and 30 March 2017 in Apia, Samoa. The two-day forum provided an opportunity for Ministers, policymakers and researchers from Pacific Island Countries and regional...

New Public-Private Partnership launched in Samoa to tackle TB, HIV and STIs

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Health of Samoa and Digicel are joining forces through a public-private partnership to launch a new mass media campaign to address tuberculosis (TB), HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  The campaign, which is being run across four...

New Legal Course for Samoan Parliamentarians Launched

A new Certificate of Law Course designed for Members of Parliament has been launched by the University of the South Pacific (USP) at the Legislative Conference Room in Tuana’imato on Tuesday 14th March. The one-year Certificate consists of six subjects and aims to provide Parliamentarians with foundational...

Tuvalu's Commitments in the Face of Climate Change Impacts

Tuvalu Electricity Corporation General Manager, Mafalu Lotolua, is a man on a mission to show the world that although Tuvalu’s emission is very negligible while the rising tides is threatening to take their homes, he wanted to lead the example and show the world that Tuvalu is doing its bit to further reduce...

Cook Islands Women's Practice Parliament Underway

Sixty women are gathering in Rarotonga this week to take part in the Cook Islands’ Second Practice Parliament for Women.   Supported by the United Nations Development Programme Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative (PPEI), the workshop is organised by the Parliament of the Cook Islands, in partnership...

Sustainable Renewable Energy Efficiency Project in Palau

Renewable energy is at the source of helping to ensure the community of over 180 residents on Kayangel Island in Palau has access to water. Kayangel is the northernmost state of Palau located about 53 miles north of Koror, which is country’s capital city. Due to the limited natural resources and difficulty in...

Making UNDP Fit for Purpose for the SDGs

Senior Managers of 24 UNDP Country Offices in Asia - Pacific, the Regional Hub in Bangkok and Headquarters, and high-level government and business representatives attended the 2017 UNDP Regional Management Meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 7 to 10 March.  The Meeting was opened by welcoming speeches from...

UN supports Persons with Disabilities

The Fifth Pacific Regional Conference on Disability was held in Apia, Samoa, at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel from 20 to 24  February, 2017.  The conference was jointly organised by the Pacific Disability Forum in partnership with Nuanua O Le Alofa and the Government of Samoa with funding from the Department of Foreign...

Paving the way for future women Members of Parliament

A two-day seminar to discuss how best to increase the number of women in Samoa's future Parliaments was held at the Tradition Resort in Siusega.  The event, organized by the Women in Leadership Advocacy (WINLA) Group, provided the opportunity for women in senior positions with Government, the private sector...