1. COP 29 President, His Excellency Mukhtar Babayev, Executive Secretary Mr. Simon Steil, my dear fellow ministers. At the outset let me thank the Government of Azerbaijan for the warm hospitality and wonderful arrangements all accomplished within a span of less than one year in preparation for this COP.

2. As Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Samoa speaks on behalf of 39 small island and low-lying coastal nations, which represents larger share of the global population. In so doing, Samoa represents many unheard voices beyond this room who require climate justice, and who need this process to forward with action rather than talk.

3. Climate change is a phenomenon that we are feeling today. Hotter summers and colder winters are the new norm. We are now facing the possibility of losing the most vulnerable countries with the least capacity to address these climate events. The irreversible damage from climate change impacts being faced by SIDS is immeasurable and must be addressed.

4. Climate impacts must be addressed immediately and with a keen sense of urgency. The longer we wait the less likely there will be a road for the recovery of SIDS. IPCC scientists are calling for immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to make the world safe. While we spend trillions globally on fossil fuel infrastructure and security, we are doing nothing to save humanity from the clutches of climate change.

5. The preparation and implementation of the most ambitious NDCs is a critical part of the solution under the Paris Agreement and countries are now at different stages. We must move forward from a business-as-usual scenario to scenarios that make our planet resilient. Deep emissions cuts should be our aim and our motto in developing our NDCs. If we fail to do so, our small island nations will be in peril.

6. The special needs and circumstances of SIDS were recognized in Rio in 1992 and reaffirmed at the last SIDS conference in Antigua and Barbuda in June of this year. The outcome of SDS4 set out the special needs and circumstances of small islands. Our fragile economies, limited resources, and the remoteness of our island nations must be fully addressed within the new goal. Agreement to a goal that fails to recognize the special case of small islands would ensure that the Paris Agreement will fail to meet its goals.

Mr. President
7. This long-awaited climate finance COP must give us a beacon of hope in the coming decade. The goal must cater for address the needs and priorities of each developing country. AOSIS’ top-level priority for this COP is to see its key ask from the joint SIDS and LDCs submission on respective minimum allocation floors of at least USD 39 billion per year for SIDS and at least USD 220 billion per year for LDCs included in the final NCQG outcome. The goal should not focus entirely on mitigation and adaptation, but given the ever-increasing impacts of climate change, financing for loss and damage has to be included.

8. The goal agreed in Baku must also provide a strong foundation on how we report back and monitor climate financing received. Transparency and accountability of the support needed and provided is key for implementing action that will allow us to reach the one and half degree goal in this critical decade.

9. At COP26, we were promised the ‘doubling of adaptation financing’, and we were assured that our partners were working towards raising these funds. But over the last years, access to adaptation finance has been more than challenging for us. As countries with the least capacity to implement adaptation actions we need grant-based financing to meet our adaptation needs.

Mr. President,

10. COP29 must deliver a substantive outcome on mitigation that allows us to progress the agreements we made last year as part of the UAE Consensus, which is critical for reaching the 1.5-degree goal and making our planet safe and prosperous.
11. The newly established Fund for Responding to Loss damage must come into play here. Small islands have advocated for a fund to address loss and damage for many years now. We must ensure the complementarity and coherence among all funding arrangements to address loss and damage as we strive to achieve the 1.50C goal within this crucial decade.

12. Multilateralism is built on trust and cooperation between countries. Transparency in climate change reporting is a considerable game changer for maintaining this trust. Our commitments under Article 13 of the Paris Agreement provide the vehicle framework for this transparency, and we welcome the submission of Parties’ first biennial transparency reports at the end of this year. These BTRs which are a critical component of the transparency required to for ensuring that we meet the goals of the Paris Agreement’s goals.

Mr. President,

13. The ocean-climate nexus is clear: healthy oceans are fundamental to achieving our 1.5°C goal. By protecting and restoring our marine ecosystems, we’re not just preserving our heritage – we’re safeguarding one of Earth’s most powerful natural solutions to climate change. Samoa, therefore, calls for recognition of the ocean-climate nexus in climate action, acknowledging that our Ocean health is intrinsically linked to global climate stability.

14. In addition, as a prominent large ocean state, Samoa embraces the opportunity to highlight the profound vulnerabilities faced by small island nations in the face of the existential threat posed by climate change. Samoa stands in solidarity with Australia in its bid to host COP31, or the Pacific COP, recognizing this platform as essential for advocating global awareness and action on climate issues that disproportionately affect island communities. I implore you all to lend your support to our bid for COP31 to amplify the voices of those most affected by climate change, particularly small island states, where the impacts are felt acutely.

Mr. President,

15. Before I conclude, allow me to refresh our memories on the historic GST outcome last year. It was a difficult agreement to reach, but despite our differences we outlined bold actions which call on the international community to transition away from fossil fuels by significantly increasing the the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. We must find a space for operationalizing this monumental language as we embark on the journey of solving the climate problem together and making the world a better place for all of us to live in.

Finally, Mr. President,

16. Rest assured, small islands will work hard to be part of a solution that is based on equity and justice.

I thank you.