Our Scans · Samoa · Weekly Summary

• Following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Samoa, the SMI launched several environmental initiatives, including the Marine Mangrove Sanctuary in Samoa - which will restore and maintain the mangrove ecosystem, mitigating sea level rise and preserving cultural heritage. The Royal Family
• In the Pacific Islands, anti-American sentiment has long been driven by Washington's disregard for self-determination in American Samoa and Guam, and more recently by U.S. threats to prohibit assistance to certain countries that do not recognize Taiwan, including Solomon Islands and Kiribati. The Diplomat
• For smaller island nations like the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, and Tuvalu, the economic impact could be transformative. Oceania Customs Organisations
• A comprehensive strategic partnership with the Cook Islands could present the PRC with an opportunity to make political inroads with a country located close to New Zealand and the US territory of American Samoa. Institute for the Study of War
• Tsunami warnings and advisories were in place for the Fiji and American Samoa islands, parts of Australia and New Zealand, Japan and as far away as South America, where Chilean authorities warned people in some areas to leave beaches. Washington Post
• The recent proposal by Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa to recognise ecocide as a crime against humanity is timely and could provide a global framework of accountability for environmental damage. The Conversation
• The nations with the highest obesity rates tend to cluster in the South Pacific, with Kiribati and Tonga leading the world in projected 2035 obesity rates at 67%, followed by Samoa at 66%, French Polynesia at 65%, and Micronesia at 64%. Time
• Tens of billions of dollars must be found to assist the populations of small Pacific island countries such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa, which are most at risk from rising seas and destructive storms. World Socialist Web Site
• Representatives of 56 countries, most with roots in Britain's empire, are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, with slavery and the threat of climate change emerging as major themes. DAWN.COM
• Next week Samoa will become the first Pacific Island nation to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. ABC News
• Samoa, with a population of about 218,000, will be the first Pacific small island state to host the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, putting the spotlight on climate change. https://www.facebook.com/TheNewDaily/
• The South Pacific region is noted for its high obesity rates, with Kiribati and Tonga projected to have the highest rates globally by 2035, reaching 67%, followed closely by Samoa at 66%, French Polynesia at 65%, and Micronesia at 64%. LSHTM
• The American Samoan people have concerns that incorporating citizenship wholesale to the territory of American Samoa could have a harmful impact on traditional Samoan culture. The New York Times
• The Ireland Trust Fund for Building Climate Change and Disaster Resilience in Small Island Developing States will contribute $400,000 and the Government of Samoa will provide more than $11 million. Asian Development Bank
• Proposals are encouraged to demonstrate a regional distribution approach, or the potential to support regional organizations which are working in multiple countries, with the primary focus of Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea. GOV.UK
• Eligible countries could include Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. TATOLI Agencia Noticiosa de Timor-Leste
• Samoa will be the first Pacific small island state to host the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, putting the spotlight on climate change. Yahoo News
• Still on the diplomatic obverse, Zimbabwe is awaiting the outcome of its application to rejoin the Commonwealth, which is expected to come out in 2024 before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled to be held in Samoa in October. The Sunday News
• In a country like Samoa that is comprised of two large islands spread across an area five times the size of Manhattan, maintaining a citizen-first government will be a challenge for FAST. International Republican Institute (IRI)
• Fiber-optic cables have been, or will soon be, connected in Fiji, Samoa, Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu; one of the World Bank's most significant infrastructure investments in the Pacific Islands over the past decade. World Bank
• The Prime Minister of Samoa gave an update on preparations for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Apia in 2024, the first CHOGM to be held in a small island developing state in the Blue Pacific continent. GOV.UK
• Because most tsunamis start in the Pacific Ocean, the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington are at highest risk, followed by U.S. territories in the Pacific, such as American Samoa. US General Accounting Office

Last updated: 13 June 2025