The National University of Samoa on Monday hosted the United Nations Day 2022 celebration with Government leaders, United Nations officials and members of the diplomatic corps attending.

N.U.S. President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Aiono Alec Ekeroma welcomed guests to the campus which included the Minister of Education Sports and Culture, Seu'ula Ioane and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Dr. Simona Marinescu.

"It gives me great pleasure to welcome  you all here today to our campus on this auspicious occasion,” said Prof. Aiono. “We are actually very privileged to have the UN join us to celebrate UN Day"

He then added that he was impressed with the performance of the students hosting the event allowing for it to proceed without a hitch.

One of the students, Audrey Natasha Lee Hang, spoke on behalf of the student body and stressed the importance of the involvement of youth in these kinds of important conversations.

Samoa was the first country in the Pacific to sign the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023 to 2027 (UNSDCF). 

However, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and they hope to accelerate this program in order to achieve these SDGs by the appointed time. 

Dr. Marinescu, speaking at the conference via zoom, told the guests that the United Charter came into being on 25 October hence the celebration of United Nations Day.

“Today we mark today 77 years of political diplomacy, humanitarian response to save lives, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator then talked about the challenges facing the world today including the climate crisis with the UN at the centre.

The United Nations Day also marks the anniversary of the day in 1945 when the United Nations Charter was signed and put into implementation. This day also provides an opportunity to reaffirm the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

This was also the perfect opportunity for the students as well as those in attendance to ask questions on any of the work the United Nations have been doing over the years in Samoa.

A special feature as part of Monday’s celebration was students from the N.U.S. Faculty of Arts – through the peer to peer initiative and likewise other social clubs within the university – playing vital roles throughout the semester in addressing these issues.