AGP Executive Report

Biosecurity Alert: Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries warns that illegal honey and other bee products sold online could bring destructive pests and diseases, threatening pollination, biodiversity, local beekeepers, and food security. Education & Resilience: The Pacific Community-backed Samoa Education Management Information System (SEMIS) was launched to give officials real-time data on students, teachers, and schools—so planning can better handle teacher shortages and climate-related disruption. Youth in the Spotlight: More than 100 young Samoans met at a UN Common Country Analysis youth consultation, urging stronger youth inclusion in decisions on jobs, education, mental health, digital access, and climate impacts. Human Rights & Environment: New Ombudsman Vui Clarence Nelson pledged to improve public understanding of the office and protect rights, flagging online harm to children, violence against women and girls, and concerns including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and seabed mining. Climate Action (Regional): COP31 Youth Climate Champion Sally Higgins visited Samoa to support youth-led climate resilience efforts ahead of major global talks.

Biosecurity Alert: Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is investigating reports of illegal Australian honey sales, warning that banned bee products could bring destructive pests and diseases that would hit pollination, agriculture, biodiversity, and food security. Public Rights & Environment: New Ombudsman Vui Clarence Nelson was sworn in and pledged stronger public understanding of the office, with particular focus on protecting children from online harm and addressing ongoing violence against women and girls, while also flagging climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and the emerging threat of seabed mining. Waste & Data for Better Decisions: Samoa launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement and planning, supported by Japan’s J-PRISM 3, while the SPC rolled out the Samoa Education Management Information System to strengthen education planning with better, timely data. Youth Climate Action: A COP31 youth climate champion visited Samoa to meet young leaders and community groups pushing locally led resilience ahead of major global climate talks. Plastic Pollution Milestone: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its one-million-piece target, removing over 23,000kg of plastic from waterways across the Commonwealth.

Ombudsman Watch: Vui Clarence Nelson was sworn in as Samoa’s new Ombudsman, pledging dignity, honesty, and stronger public understanding of the office—while flagging urgent issues like online harm to children, violence against women and girls, and the need to protect a healthy environment amid climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and seabed mining threats. Biosecurity Alert: Samoa’s Biosecurity Division says it was unaware of an online sale of imported Australian honey and will investigate, after the product raised concerns under Samoa’s strict honey and bee product rules meant to protect the country’s bee population from pests and diseases. Waste & Data: Samoa’s MNRE launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to better measure waste entering the site, improving data for landfill management, planning, policy, and reporting—supported through Japan’s J-PRISM 3. Plastic Pollution Push: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its milestone of removing over one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, with the milestone collected in Glasgow—an effort that began in Samoa in 2024. Youth Climate Voices: COP31 youth climate champion Sally Higgins visited Samoa to meet young climate leaders and community groups, backing locally led resilience solutions ahead of global climate talks.

Diplomacy & Trade: The new U.S. Ambassador Jared Novelly is set to present credentials in Apia and meet Samoa’s PM and Cabinet on shared priorities including sustainable investment, maritime cooperation, education, health, and community resilience. Human Rights & Environment: Ombudsman Vui Clarence Nelson vows stronger public understanding of his office, with warnings that Samoa must protect children from online harm and address ongoing violence against women and girls—while also flagging climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and the emerging threat of seabed mining. Biosecurity: Samoa’s Biosecurity Division says it was unaware of an online sale of imported Australian honey and will investigate, after Samoa’s long-standing rules restrict honey and bee products to protect bee health and the environment. Waste & Data for Better Decisions: MNRE has launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve measurement of waste entering the site, strengthening waste data for planning and policy. Climate Action on the Ground: Samoa has started community consultations and fieldwork to “ground truth” mangrove carbon storage, feeding into conservation planning and national greenhouse gas reporting. Plastic Pollution Momentum: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its milestone of removing over one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, with the milestone collected in Glasgow. Youth Climate Leadership: A COP31 youth climate champion, Sally Higgins, visited Samoa to meet young climate leaders and community groups and push locally led resilience solutions into global talks. Regional Fisheries Policy: Pacific Forum officials urged countries to discourage subsidies that support fishing of stocks declared overfished, linking fisheries reform to protecting ocean health.

Biosecurity Watch: Samoa’s Biosecurity Division says it was unaware of an online sale of imported Australian honey and will investigate, after the 1999 Bee and Bee Products Prohibition Order was cited as key to protecting Samoa’s bee population from pests and diseases. Mangrove Carbon Work: Samoa has started “ground-truthing” mangrove sites to measure carbon storage, with SPREP and MNRE using consultations and field checks to strengthen climate reporting and greenhouse gas accounting. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE has launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement and data for better planning and policy, supported by Japan’s J-PRISM 3. Plastic Pollution Milestone: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its goal of preventing over one million pieces of plastic from entering waterways, with the milestone collected in Glasgow. Youth Climate Action: A COP31 youth climate champion visited Samoa to meet young leaders and community groups pushing locally led resilience ahead of global climate talks. Blue Economy Fisheries Policy: Pacific leaders urged discouraging subsidies that support fishing of overfished stocks, linking fisheries reform to protecting ocean health.

Mangrove Carbon Work in Samoa: Samoa has begun community consultations and fieldwork to “ground truth” mangrove carbon storage, led by SPREP through the Regional Pacific NDC Hub with MNRE, to strengthen climate reporting, conservation planning, and greenhouse gas accounting. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE has launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve how waste entering the site is measured, boosting data for landfill management, planning, and policy decisions. Plastic Pollution Milestone: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its target of preventing over one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways, with the milestone collected on Scotland’s River Clyde. Biosecurity Alert on Honey Imports: Biosecurity officials say they were unaware an Australian honey product is being sold in Samoa and will investigate, after Samoa’s long-standing rules prohibit honey imports to protect bee health and the environment. Youth Climate Leadership in Samoa: COP31 Youth Climate Champion Sally Higgins visited Samoa to meet young climate leaders and community groups, pushing locally led resilience solutions into global talks. Fisheries Subsidies Warning: Forum Deputy Secretary General Esala Nayasi urged Pacific countries to discourage subsidies that support fishing of stocks already declared overfished, linking the issue to IUU fishing and the Blue Pacific vision. Community Safety Focus: SVSG resumed its awareness programme to end violence against women and children, restarting in Falealili 1 with village sessions on prevention, protection services, and legal rights. Campus Violence Reported: NUS and police are responding to student brawls captured on video, with reports of head injuries and calls for clearer action to prevent further clashes.

Biosecurity Watch: Samoa’s Biosecurity Division says it was unaware an Australian honey product is being sold in-country, and will investigate after an online ad for “Stock Route Reserve Organic Honey” raised concerns about Samoa’s strict honey and bee-product import rules. Mangrove Carbon Work: Samoa has started “ground-truthing” mangrove sites to measure carbon storage for stronger climate reporting, conservation planning, and greenhouse gas accounting, led by SPREP with MNRE support. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE has launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement and data for better landfill planning and policy decisions, supported through Japan’s J-PRISM 3. Plastic Pollution Milestone: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its one-million-piece target, removing over 23,000kg of plastic from waterways across the Commonwealth, with the milestone collected in Glasgow. Youth Climate Voices: A COP31 youth climate champion visited Samoa to meet young climate leaders and community groups, pushing for locally led solutions to be central in global climate talks. Community Safety: The Samoa Victim Support Group resumed its awareness programme to end violence against women and children, running village sessions with police and justice partners.

Biosecurity Watch: Samoa’s Biosecurity Division says it was unaware an online ad is selling imported Australian honey, despite a 1999 prohibition order meant to protect the country’s bee population from pests and diseases. Mangrove Carbon Work: MNRE and SPREP have started “ground-truthing” mangrove sites to verify carbon storage for stronger climate reporting and greenhouse gas accounting, with consultations beginning in July. Waste Management Upgrade: Samoa launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve how waste is measured and tracked, supported by Japan’s J-PRISM 3 and training for better data and reporting. Plastic Pollution Milestone: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its one-million-piece target, removing over 23,000kg of plastic from waterways across the Commonwealth, with the milestone collected on Scotland’s River Clyde. Youth Climate Voices: A COP31 youth climate champion visited Samoa to meet young leaders and community groups, pushing locally led climate resilience into global talks. Climate Education in the Region: SINU representatives showcased climate innovation at a Pacific climate forum, highlighting the need to blend science with traditional ecological knowledge and strengthen regional research links.

Biosecurity Watch: Samoa’s Biosecurity Division says it was unaware of an online sale of imported Australian honey and will investigate, after the product was advertised despite a 1999 prohibition meant to protect Samoa’s bee population from pests and diseases. Waste & Data for Action: MNRE has launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to better measure waste entering the site, improving data for landfill management, planning, and policy—supported through Japan’s J-PRISM 3. Plastic Pollution Momentum: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit a milestone of removing over one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, with the milestone collection in Glasgow tied to the King’s Baton Relay. Climate Resilience Work: Samoa has begun “ground-truthing” mangroves for carbon storage, combining field checks and local knowledge to strengthen climate reporting and conservation planning. Youth Climate Voices: A COP31 youth climate champion visited Samoa to meet young leaders and community groups and push for locally led solutions to be central in global climate talks.

Mangrove Carbon Work in Samoa: Samoa has started community consultations and fieldwork to “ground truth” mangrove carbon storage, led by SPREP with MNRE, to strengthen climate reporting, conservation planning, and greenhouse gas accounting. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve how waste is measured and tracked, supported by Japan’s J-PRISM 3 and training for better landfill data and reporting. Plastic Pollution Push: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its milestone of removing over one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, with the millionth item collected on Glasgow’s River Clyde. Youth Climate Leadership in Samoa: A youth climate champion visited Samoa ahead of global climate talks, meeting young leaders and community groups to boost locally led resilience action. Fisheries Subsidies Warning: Pacific leaders urged WTO action to discourage subsidies that drive fishing of overfished stocks, linking the issue to protecting the Blue Pacific and tackling IUU fishing. Campus Safety Concern: NUS says it’s following disciplinary processes after video-circulated student brawls left at least one injured student, raising questions about campus security and accountability.

Mangrove Carbon Work in Samoa: Samoa has started “ground truthing” mangrove sites to verify carbon storage for stronger climate reporting and greenhouse gas accounting, led by SPREP with MNRE and local consultations across priority communities. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE officially launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement and data for better planning and policy. Plastic Pollution Push: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its milestone of removing over one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, with the milestone collected on Scotland’s River Clyde. Youth Climate Leadership in Samoa: A COP31 youth climate champion visited Samoa to meet young climate leaders and community groups, including a Youth Talanoa focused on locally led resilience ahead of global talks. Fisheries Subsidies Warning: Pacific Forum officials urged countries to discourage subsidies that support fishing of stocks already declared overfished, linking the issue to IUU fishing and the Blue Pacific agenda. Community Safety: SVSG resumed its UN-backed community awareness programme to end violence against women and children in Falealili 1, with sessions on protection, reporting, and support services.

Fisheries & Ocean Health: Forum DSG Esala Nayasi urged Pacific governments to discourage fishing subsidies that back overfished stocks and fuel IUU fishing, linking the push to the Blue Pacific Continent vision. Climate & Nature: Samoa has started “ground-truthing” mangroves for carbon storage, with SPREP and MNRE field checks meant to strengthen climate reporting and conservation planning. Plastic Pollution: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit a milestone—over one million pieces of plastic kept out of waterways—after removing 23,000kg across the Commonwealth. Waste Management: Samoa’s MNRE launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement and data for better planning and policy. Community Resilience: Youth climate champion Sally Higgins visited Samoa to back locally led climate action ahead of major global talks. Water & Waste Accountability: Communities are pushing back after Coca-Cola replaced Samoa’s refillable glass with single-use plastic, arguing it worsens pollution where recycling options are limited. Blue Economy Diplomacy: Pacific states are also working through OACPS reform talks in Brussels, with Samoa calling for streamlined, results-focused action on climate resilience and the blue economy.

Youth Climate Action: COP31 Youth Climate Champion Sally Higgins wrapped a two-day visit to Samoa, meeting young climate leaders and community groups and pushing for locally led resilience solutions to be heard in global talks. Mangrove Carbon Work: Samoa has begun “ground-truthing” mangroves for carbon storage, with SPREP and MNRE field checks meant to strengthen climate reporting and greenhouse gas accounting. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement and data for better planning and policy. Plastic Pollution Push: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its one-million-piece milestone, building on Samoa-linked momentum from the 2024 CHOGM launch. Corporate Packaging Backlash: Communities are again calling out Coca-Cola after it shifted Samoa from refillable glass to single-use plastic bottles, warning of worsening pollution where recycling options are limited. Water & Environment: Samoa Water Authority urged the public to save water ahead of El Niño conditions. Local Environment & Culture: A pōwhiri welcomed new staff at Te Wharekura o Tāmaki ki te Tonga, including a Samoan kaiako bringing “Ngākau Māori” into the classroom. Campus Safety Concern: A fight involving NUS foundation students near the Lepapaigalala campus was filmed and shared online, with students urging the university to address the cause to prevent repeat clashes.

Mangrove Carbon Work: Samoa has begun community consultations and field “ground-truthing” of mangrove sites to measure carbon storage, feeding into national climate reporting and conservation planning. Waste Management Upgrade: MNRE officially launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to improve waste measurement, strengthen data for policy and planning, and support more sustainable landfill operations. Plastic Pollution Milestone: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its target of removing over one million pieces of plastic from waterways, with the milestone collected in Glasgow—an effort that began in Samoa in 2024. Community Pushback on Bottles: Communities are calling out Coca-Cola’s switch from refillable glass to single-use plastic in Samoa, warning it worsens pollution where recycling options are limited. Education for Wetlands: Moata’a Primary School launched a dual-language digital animated story, “Mangroves: Guardians of the Brink,” to teach children why mangroves matter for shoreline protection and marine life. Regional Climate Finance: Pacific officials advanced work to turn climate commitments into investment-ready projects, aiming to close the climate finance gap with bankable, practical proposals.

Plastic Pollution Push: The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign hit its milestone, stopping more than one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways, with 15,000+ volunteers removing 23,000kg of waste across rivers and coasts. Waste Management Upgrade: Samoa’s MNRE has launched a new weighbridge at Tafaigata Landfill to measure incoming waste more accurately, improving data for policy, planning, and landfill operations, supported by Japan’s J-PRISM 3. Mangrove Carbon Work: Samoa has begun “ground-truthing” mangroves for carbon storage, combining field checks with local knowledge to strengthen climate reporting and greenhouse gas accounting. Community Learning for Nature: Moata’a Primary School launched a dual-language digital animation, “Mangroves: Guardians of the Brink,” teaching children how mangroves protect shorelines, support marine life, and sustain livelihoods. Water Security Ahead of El Niño: Samoa Water Authority is urging households to conserve water as El Niño conditions bring less rainfall and longer dry periods.

Mangrove Carbon Work: Samoa has started community consultations and fieldwork to “ground truth” mangrove carbon storage, led by SPREP’s Regional Pacific NDC Hub with MNRE, to strengthen climate reporting, conservation planning, and greenhouse gas accounting. Climate & Water Watch: With El Niño expected to bring less rainfall and longer dry spells, the Samoa Water Authority is urging everyone to save water now—fix leaks, cut waste, limit hoses, and report burst pipes. Community Learning for Nature: Moata’a Primary School launched a dual-language digital animation, “Mangroves: Guardians of the Brink,” created with Pacific Kids Learning to teach children how mangroves protect shorelines, support marine life, and sustain local livelihoods. Regional Partnership: Samoa’s Prime Minister met New Zealand’s PM in Wellington to reaffirm cooperation on labour mobility, trade, and worker welfare under the RSE scheme—an important link for people-to-people ties and sustainable employment. Gender Safety in Communities: The Samoa Victim Support Group resumed a UN Trust Fund community awareness programme to end violence against women and children, with legal rights and reporting support sessions planned alongside police and justice partners.