A small delegation from CLGF made up of Board Chair Lawrence Yule, Regional Director Karibaiti Taoaba and Governance Manager Feue Tipu, travelled to Samoa for the Third UN Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) meeting. The team went as support to the Tuvalu Prime Minister Hon. Enele Sopoaga in his capacity as the CLGF Patron to lobby for the inclusion of local government in the outcome statement of SIDS.

As agreed to during the 2014 Pacific Local Government Forum (PLGF), the Port Moresby Declaration was very specific about CLGF’s engagement with SIDS and resolved ‘to lobby for the recognized role of local government in implementing regional agreements and processes,’ with the support of the CLGF Pacific Patron and other Heads of Government.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to make changes to the original text of the final S.A.M.O.A Pathway document; however the alternative was to produce a message that would be included in its annexes. As a result, CLGF together with its Patron formulated the ‘Apia Statement on Small Island Developing States and the Role of Local Government in the Pacific’. It was introduced by the CLGF Patron at one of the SIDS side meetings and had the notable support of the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands and Palau.

The S.A.M.O.A Pathway document makes mention of local government in clause 40.

Local Government and Small Island States Information Paper