Deputy Prime Minister, Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo, welcomed the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to Samoa yesterday.
Fonotoe greeted Mr. Ban at Faleolo International Airport when he arrived on a private jet for the third Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S) conference.
Ahead of the conference tomorrow, Mr. Ban is scheduled to visit Aleipata today where he is reportedly scheduled to be bestowed a matai title.
Mr. Ban will then spend tomorrow at the meeting before he departs on Monday night. Prior to his arrival last night, Mr. Ban said the meeting in Samoa is vital.
“We need to bring more attention to the problems that Small Island Developing States face,” he said during a recent S.I.D.S leaders event.
“Many of your countries are isolated. Your markets are too small to realize economies of scale. All small island developing states are exposed to high risks from environmental threats, especially climate change.”
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Mr. Ban said that the world had not paid enough attention to the issues that the people of small island States, often on the frontlines, have had to face alone.
The S.I.D.S conference is bringing to Samoa more than 3,000 delegates from all over the world.
A cultural performance at 6pm this evening will officially open the event.
The meeting is seeking a renewed political commitment to address the special needs and vulnerabilities of S.I.D.S by focusing on practical actions.
Building on assessments of previous commitments (such as the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy for Implementation), the Conference will aim to identify and address new and emerging challenges and opportunities for sustainable development of S.I.D.S, particularly through the strengthening of partnerships between these islands and the international community.
Many issues that will be addressed at the Conference are also central to the post-2015 development agenda.
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