Month: December 2025

Source: Government of Western Samoa

[PRESS RELEASE, 27th November 2025] – The Minister for Commerce, Industry and Labour and Trade Negotiations, Honorable Fata Ryan Schuster has signed the Phase II of the Implementing Arrangement for Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) under the PACER Plus Agreement on behalf of Samoa during the 2025 PACER Plus Ministers Meeting on Thursday, 27th November 2025 in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The PACER Plus Agreement is a regional trade and development pact among 11 Pacific Island countries—Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu—together with Australia and New Zealand. After more than seven years of negotiations, the Agreement was concluded in April 2017 and signed in June 2017 in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to ratify the PACER Plus Agreement on 22 July 2019, showing leadership in promoting regional trade in the Pacific.

Samoa is also host for the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), established in 2021 to help member countries carry out their trade related commitments and targeted needs under the DEC Work Programme.

A key feature from the Ministers Meeting was the announcement by Australia and New Zealand of renewed and increased funding for the next five-year cycle of the DEC Work Programme – AUD 23.2 million from Australia and NZD 10 million from New Zealand.

Ministers from member countries welcomed this commitment and proceeded to sign the Phase II Implementing Arrangement for DEC under the PACER Plus.

This second Phase will focus on strengthening capacity, improving market access, and supporting sustainable economic development across the Pacific. Samoa welcomes this renewed partnership and acknowledges the significant contribution of both governments.

In his national statement, Honourable Fata Ryan Schuster reaffirmed Samoa’s commitment to strengthening the PACER Plus Agreement to ensure that the priorities in the Work Programme continue to deliver practical development outcomes, noting:

“Samoa acknowledges the solid progress made under the PACER Plus Work Programme. As Parties, we each carry commitments, and it is important that this shared responsibility continues to guide how we move forward together. We remain committed to ensuring PACER Plus delivers real and lasting benefits for our region.”

The Minister also acknowledged the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for their ongoing financial, advisory and technical support under their Aid-for-Trade commitments.

He noted that this assistance is essential to the effective implementation of PACER Plus and to supporting member countries to build capacity and to meet their obligations.

The Government commends the Minister on the success of his first international trip. He was accompanied by Mr. Henry Tunupopo, ACEO Trade Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Ms. Leilua Sosefina Fa’amausili, Assistant Attorney General – Commercial and International Law; and Ms. Theresa Penn, Principal Foreign Service Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

December 2, 2025

Source: Government of Western Samoa

[PRESS RELEASE 25 November 2025] – The Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Toelupe Maoiautele Poumulinuku Onesemo led Samoa’s delegation to the EU Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum held in Brussels, Belgium from 20 to 21 November 2025. The Forum was attended by around 70 delegations from the EU membership and institutions as well as from countries and regional organisations from across the East coast of Africa to Asia and to the Pacific Islands countries.

The fourth EU–Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, builds on the success of the previous editions in Paris (2022), Stockholm (2023) and Brussels (2024). It serves as a high-level platform for dialogue aimed at shaping a collective vision for the region’s future and identifying concrete actions to strengthen cooperation and solidarity. The Forum was chaired by High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security and Vice President of the European Commission Ms. Kaja Kallas.

The Deputy Prime Minister co-moderated with the Executive Vice President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera the round table on Common endeavours for a clean and sustainable future, where discussions were centred around how climate mitigation and adaptation can go hand in hand with sustainable growth, focusing on clean energy, renewable hydrogen, circular economy and ocean governance with the aim to advance cooperation on the green transition through partnerships. He sent a strong message to the meetings of the importance of meeting the 1.5 degree goal of the Paris Agreement.

“Implementing rather than rolling back on green policies should be another strong signal we can send from Brussels this week. Only through genuine cooperation and mutual trust can we craft solutions that no single nation could achieve alone.” Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa.

He also stressed that the global financial architecture must evolve to deliver finance at the speed and scale of the climate crisis. During the high-level event on the Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure the Deputy Prime Minister was one of the key speakers and he highlighted the importance of regional and cross regional collaboration in order to combat the challenges we are facing in the Pacific region such as IUU fishing, transnational crimes at sea, trafficking, environmental and resources exploitation issues.

While in Brussels, Honourable Toelupe also met with other high level delegations to discuss issues of mutual concern and strengthen partnerships for the benefit of Samoa and its people. These included a Pacific Joint Dialogue with the EU Parliamentarian and Chair of Constitutional Affairs and Vice Chair of the Delegation to the Pacific- EU Assembly, Mr. Sven Simon. They discussed the Samoa Agreement and its implementation, regional geopolitics and upcoming EU-Pacific Parliamentarian meetings.

Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister also met with the Secretary General of OACPS, H.E Mr Moussa Batraki, to identify key priorities for the African, Caribbean and Pacific organization to ensure the effective implementation of the Samoa Agreement and to hear a briefing on the upcoming 11th ACP Leaders’ Summit to be held in Equatorial Guinea in 2026. Other bilateral meeting included the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Mr. Vidmantas Verbickas and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Dr. Johann Wadephul to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation. The Deputy Prime Minister also had an opportunity for a brief meeting with the EU High Representative/Vice President Ms. Kaja Kallas.

Samoa’s delegation included Mrs. Peseta Noumea Simi, CEO for Foreign Affairs and Trade, H.E Sauiao Francella Strickland, Ambassador of Samoa to Belgium and the EU, Ms. Noelani Manoa, Counsellor to the Embassy of Samoa and Ms. Michaela Procazkova, Adviser with the Embassy of Samoa.

END.

December 2, 2025

Source: Government of Western Samoa

[PRESS RELEASE] -Samoa will host the next round of the Atoa Samoa talks in 2026. A tentative date for the inter-government meeting is scheduled for early March.

American Samoa Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula and Samoa’s Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt have tasked officials to finalise the agenda for their first inter-government meeting since both were elected as Governor and Prime Minister respectively.

The two leaders met Monday morning at the Tradewinds Hotel, Tafuna for informal talks and courtesy calls ending a 4-day invitation from the territory’s Legislature for the Prime Minister and le afioga I le Ao Mamalu o le Malo, his highness the Head of State afioga Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Sualauvi II as guests of honour to witness the dedication of the new Legislative Building Complex.

Governor Pulaali’i extended well wishes to the Prime Minister, his First Lady, First Lady Tupea Heather Schmidt and the entire Samoan Government, expressing hopes for a successful remainder of the month and a joyful, safe holiday season.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean and Speaker of the House Savali Talavou Ale led the Legislature’s delegation to see the Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa and delegation return home Monday afternoon.

END.

December 2, 2025

Source: Government of Western Samoa

[PRESS RELEASE, 01/12/2025] – The National University of Samoa launched the Pacific Adoption of Waste-to-Energy Solutions (PAWES) Project, including its Waste-to-Energy (WtE) initiative, at a ceremony held on campus today, 1 December. This event represents a substantial advancement in the University’s commitment to advancing environmental research, sustainable innovation, and resilience-building across Samoa and the broader Pacific.

The programme opened with a prayer by Rev. Malotau Lafolafoga and welcoming remarks by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tuifuisaa Patila Amosa. In her address, Professor Amosa emphasized that the initiative marks “an important milestone in our shared commitments to sustainability and innovation.” She highlighted how the project demonstrates the intellectual capacity and creativity of NUS students and academic staff in addressing real-world environmental challenges through research-led and practice-oriented solutions.

As part of its broader sustainability agenda, the Faculty of Science has coordinated the Waste to Energy (WtE) Scholarship project supporting four students enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Science, majoring in Renewable Energy. Their research focuses on the installation, demonstration, and operation of renewable energy technologies that directly benefit the University. Under this programme, four students have successfully installed two anaerobic biodigester systems on the NUS campus.

These systems convert food waste from the university canteen and restaurant into biogas, which will be used to fuel cooking ovens, while the remaining by-products will serve as organic fertilizer for campus agricultural and landscaping activities. These biodigesters represent a significant step forward in promoting sustainable campus practices. They reduce waste, support food production, and advance the use of renewable energy. Their operation will not only benefit the NUS community but also serve as a model of environmentally responsible innovation for institutions across the Pacific region.

The keynote address was delivered by Acting CEO of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (MWTI), Tofilau Shamila Leavai, who highlighted that the installation of the first anaerobic biodigester system at NUS is more than the introduction of new technology. It is “a powerful statement that Samoa is not merely responding to global environmental challenges, but actively innovating and shaping solutions grounded in scientific inquiry and environmental stewardship.” Professor Funemalafai Taema Imo-Seuoti, Project Coordinator, delivered a comprehensive overview of the PAWES project’s conceptual foundations and anticipated contributions to sustainable development, particularly in advancing regional capacity in renewable energy research and waste-to-energy solutions.

The ceremony concluded with an official ribbon-cutting by Pro-Chancellor Professor Letuimanu’asina Emma Kruse Va’ai, symbolizing NUS’s continued leadership in sustainability-focused research and academic excellence. NUS acknowledges the valued support of the Pacific Community SPC Ms Christine Deo-Reddy, Ms Lilian Penaia, SPREP, and MWTI for endorsing and enabling the scholarship programme. The University also extends its sincere gratitude to Professor Muagututi’a Ioana Chan Mow and Autagavaia Tupuivao Vaiaso for their dedicated mentorship of the students engaged in this project.

END

The National University of Samoa

December 2, 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, met the media today (December 2) with the Secretary for Migrant Workers of the Philippines, Mr Hans Leo J. Cacdac, regarding the follow-up work on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Following are Mr Sun’s opening remarks at the media session:
 
     Today the Secretary for Migrant Workers of the Philippines is coming to Hong Kong. This is the second time we have met in Hong Kong. The last time we met was on November 9 – the Secretary came to Hong Kong to officiate at the opening of the largest centre in Asia for Filipinos in Hong Kong.
 
     First of all, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased foreign domestic helpers. At the same time, I wish a very speedy recovery to all those injured in the fire. We are truly grateful for their selflessness and also their heroic acts during the fire, as many of them were taking care of the elderly, children and babies in Wang Fuk Court.
 
     Let me briefly sum up the support we are going to provide for those who unfortunately died or were injured. For foreign domestic helpers who died in the fire, apart from the statutory compensation, which will be over $500,000, they will also be receiving one-off financial assistance of $200,000, and another $50,000 of support. Adding all together, for foreign domestic helpers who died in the fire, they will be receiving around $800,000, roughly equivalent to US$100,000.
 
     For those who were injured, they will also be receiving one-off financial assistance, either $50,000 or $100,000, depending on the period of how long they are staying in the hospital. For those who survived the fire, we will also provide $20,000 to them. And for those who were injured or survived the fire, we are also providing them with an Octopus card with an amount of $2,000.
 
     Let me also give a quick update on the number of foreign domestic helpers in Wang Fuk Court. According to the information available to us, there are a total of 235 foreign domestic helpers working in Wang Fuk court. Among them, according to our record, 10 died in the fire, three are injured, 192 are safe now, and there are still 30 who are missing.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, met the media today (December 2) with the Secretary for Migrant Workers of the Philippines, Mr Hans Leo J. Cacdac, regarding the follow-up work on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Following are Mr Sun’s remarks at the media session:
 
Reporter: Good afternoon, Mr Sun. You mentioned that there will be $800,000 offered to the deceased foreign domestic helpers. Would this be for their families? And how can the families claim this amount of money? And also, who will be responsible for the funeral expenses of the helpers who lost their lives in this tragedy? Is it still the employer in this case?
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Thank you. We are working closely with the Consulate for those who are going to claim assistance from us. We will work through for the Filipinos with the PCG – the Consul Generals of the Philippines. Number one is to identify and to confirm that they are the ones, and then we are going to distribute through the Labour Department (LD) in Hong Kong where we will work with the Consulate. The key is to make sure that only the genuine family members are eligible to claim the financial assistance for those helpers who died in the incident. Rest assured, we will work closely with the Consulate to make sure that the money is distributed to the right people. I think this is very important.
    
     For the funeral expenses, there are two parts of it. One part is already covered by the statutory requirement. For all the standard contracts we are issuing for every domestic helper in Hong Kong, there is a standard clause to cover funeral expenses. On top of the existing legal provision, we also provide them with a one-off non-accountable $50,000 relating to their funeral. This is an additional add-on.
 
Reporter: Thank you, Mr Sun, for the generous support for migrant domestic workers. Indeed, the payout is generous enough. I would just like to ask if this is separate from whatever employee compensation that our migrant workers are entitled to under the law, because right now as I know it stands at more than $500,000 in case of death, and there are separate provisions for those who are injured. If they are entitled to this, will the Hong Kong LD assist them in claiming for their compensation? Thank you.
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: You can rest assured, as I have made clear in my opening remarks, the LD will help them claim the entitlement under the law. As you said, for those who died, they are entitled to receive at least around $500,000 as compensation. You can rest assured that we will do our utmost to make sure they receive it. What I am saying is, apart from what is provided under the law, this time around, there will be an extra one-off financial assistance, which amounts to $250,000 for those who died.
 
Reporter: Thank you very much. For those migrant domestic workers among the survivors, if some of them are recovering, and for example they do not have any more employment with their employers in Tai Po, would they be given an extension of their 14-day visas in order to look for a job if they wish to continue their employment in Hong Kong?
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Thank you. We have discussed this with the Immigration Department, so you can have reassurance that they will be as flexible as possible to help the workers. It depends on each and every individual case, but please be assured that we will be as flexible and helpful as possible to help those who are affected and tragically impacted.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following are the welcome remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the 6th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2025 – Judicial Roundtable under Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 today (December 2):

Your Excellencies, distinguished judges and guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Today is the second day of the 6th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit – the Judicial Roundtable, I wish to extend my special thanks to UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) for the organisation of the Roundtable and the Asian Development Bank for the Russian simultaneous interpretation so that judges from the Central Asia and other Russian-speaking jurisdictions would be able to participate in the roundtable discussions.

     The format of “Roundtable” is to facilitate knowledge sharing and open dialogue under an inclusive environment, which would enable participants to actively engage in the discussion. The theme of the Judicial Roundtable today is “Recent Trends in Dispute Resolution”, with two sessions discussing firstly “Judicial Handling of Disputes involving the Use of AI” and second, “Interactions between Alternative Dispute Resolution and Court Proceedings”. Let me share with you some of the recent initiatives in Hong Kong in this respect. 

     Hong Kong has been widely recognised as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre for many years. In the 2025 International Arbitration Survey published by Queen Mary University of London, Hong Kong is ranked the second most preferred seat of arbitration globally, and is the most preferred arbitration seat in the Asia-Pacific region. To further strengthening Hong Kong’s edges in international arbitration, the Department of Justice has newly set up a Working Group on Arbitration Law Reform to review and make recommendation to amend our Arbitration Ordinance. 

     Apart from promotion of arbitration in general, we are promoting arbitration in specialised fields. For instance, it is one of the policy initiatives of the Chief Executive’s Policy Address this year to establish a sports dispute resolution system and to promote sports mediation and arbitration, leveraging the institutional advantages of Hong Kong in dispute resolution. The Department of Justice established the Advisory Committee on Sports Dispute Resolution, and would launch a pilot scheme on sports dispute resolution for two years, providing a dedicated mechanism for resolving sports disputes through mediation and dispute resolution.

     When it comes to international mediation, the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) provides a platform for settlement of international disputes, which includes disputes between a government and foreign nationals and also international commercial disputes through mediation. With its headquarter situated in Hong Kong, I am sure the establishment of IOMed will not only promote dispute resolution through mediation and other means, but also create synergies with other international organisations, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions, which will further consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre.

     Lasty, I would like to mention the use of technology and artificial intelligence in Hong Kong. There is currently no bespoke legislation governing AI in Hong Kong. To harness the potential benefits this new technology may bring, it is incumbent upon the Hong Kong Government to take the lead to review the relevant law so as to provide a facilitative yet properly controlled legal environment for AI’s development. As mentioned in this year’s Chief Executive’s Policy Address, the Department of Justice will form an interdepartmental working group to co-ordinate the responsible bureaux to review the legislation needed to complement the wider application of artificial intelligence. 

     On this front, we are also promoting the use of lawtech in the Hong Kong legal and dispute resolution industry. Since the establishment of the Consultation Group on LawTech Development early this year, we progressively promote technology in the legal industry by adopting a three-stage approach, with the aim of enhancing the efficiency and quality of professional services through technology. These three stages include first, raising awareness of the legal profession and lawtech education for law students; second, engaging the legal profession with lawtech products through exhibitions and market surveys to enable firms to find suitable solutions for their business growth; and thirdly, encouraging the local and international lawtech enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong, in order to foster a vibrant lawtech ecosystem. We will also periodically review the legal framework to ensure it supports and regulates new legal technologies effectively.

     To conclude, I would like to thank the moderators, speakers of today’s Judicial Roundtable, and all the participants, as well as UNCITRAL for their collaboration with the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Academy was launched last year which is dedicated to conduct capacity building programmes in diverse areas of law for different stakeholders in the region and beyond. This Judicial Summit co-organised by UNCITRAL and the Academy has become a key platform for capacity building for judges coming from different parts of the world.

     On this note, I wish you all a very fruitful and enlightening roundtable discussion. For those who are leaving Hong Kong after the Roundtable, I wish you a safe journey home. For those joining us online, I am very keen on seeing you joining us in person in Hong Kong at the next UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit in 2027. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced today (December 2) that it is investigating an imported case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection and reminded members of the public to maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent intestinal infections.

     The case involves a 14-year-old boy with good past health who developed diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort on November 16. He sought medical attention at a private doctor on November 18 and did not require hospitalisation. He has now recovered. His stool sample tested positive for STEC.

     A preliminary investigation by the CHP revealed that the patient participated in a school trip to Bali, Indonesia, between November 10 and 15 (within the incubation period). According to available information, the remaining 33 students and teachers who participated in the school trip and the patient’s home contacts are asymptomatic so far. The CHP is following up on their health conditions and will continue to investigate the case.

     Over the past five years (2020 to 2024), the CHP recorded one to six cases of STEC infection annually. Including the case announced above, three cases of STEC infection have been recorded so far this year. No significant upward trend or unusual cluster cases have been identified.

     Generally, STEC infections are usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food or water, such as raw or undercooked meat products, contaminated fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurised dairy products. Direct person-to-person transmission through the faecal-oral route can also occur. Waterborne transmission has been reported, both from contaminated drinking water and from recreational waters. The public are advised to observe good personal and food hygiene.

     Members of the public may refer to the CHP’s webpage for more information about STEC.