New UN Resident Coordinator presents Credentials to the Prime Minister of Samoa

Apia, Samoa – 21 August, 2023. Mr. Themba Kalua, the newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator (UN RC) for the United Nations Multi-Country Office (UN MCO) for the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau presented his Letter of Credence to the Prime Minister of Samoa, Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa, on Thursday 17^h of August 2023, at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The UN and Samoa have maintained diplomatic relations since 1945 when the UN inherited responsibility for Western Samoa from the former League of Nations, which was then a Trusteeship Territory under New Zealand’s administration. This relationship guided the attainment of Samoa’s independence in 1962, and it has expanded over the years with the UN remaining committed, as one of Samoa’s crucial development partners.

Mr. Kalua is the second UN RC for the UN MCO in Samoa since the UN General Assembly Resolution 72/279 on the reform of the UN development system to better respond to the 2030 Agenda, including a “reinvigorated, empowered, and independent” Resident Coordinator system.

As the UN RC, Mr. Kalua is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level, and he is the designated representative of – and reports to – the Secretary-General.

As the Resident Coordinator, Mr. Kalua is responsible for the coordination of all UN development operational activities in support of countries’ efforts towards implementation of the 2030 Agenda – 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the Pacific 2023-2027; aligned to better serve the national development priorities of the country.