Monday 21October 2024
Samoa Arts and Culture Centre Malifa
[Reverend]
Excellencies, Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen.
´One Resilient Common Future, transforming our common wealth´ is the theme for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Samoa chose the critical focus on resilience as it transcends all pillars of the Commonwealth, prioritising collective action that weaves resilience into all choices for a commonwealth where societies stand strong, institutions uphold justice, environments flourish and economies thrive.
More importantly, as the first Small Island Developing State of the Pacific to host CHOGM, we would like to see CHOGM bring the collective experience of the Blue Pacific Continent, our islands that are in the frontlines fighting the impacts of climate change, and those disproportionately affected by ongoing global challenges due to their unique and particular vulnerabilities.
Therefore, I commend the British Council of New Zealand and the Pacific, the governments of the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Auckland University of Technology in partnering with our Ministry of Education and Culture for bringing this photographic exhibition and especially for making it anofficial side event for CHOGM Samoa 2024.
As we, the Pacific, tell our stories throughout this week, and showcase our own solutions and what drives us to remain resilient, these pictures will also recapture the resonance of these same stories through the eyes of our people and communities.
Excellencies, Distinguished guests:
Pacific Leaders have declared climate change as the single greatest threat to the security and wellbeing of our people. As the spotlight is on Samoa and our Blue Pacific Continent this week, I hope the powerful images of this ‘Trouble in Paradise—Climate Change in the Pacific’ photographic exhibition will help tell our story in perpetuity and showcase resilient solutions built up from our vulnerabilities.
We will continue to encourage all delegates and participants of CHOGM 2024 to come visit.
Thank you.