The first intersessional meeting of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption on the preparations for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) was held on the 2nd – 4th of September, 2020 in Vienna, Austria.

With border closure for COVID-19, Samoa’s participation was achieved through virtual means. The meeting ran from 10pm – 12am, Apia Time. Samoa was represented by the Office of the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Samoa’s intervention was presented by the Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the International Relations Division, Ms. Francella Strickland.

Ms. Strickland noted that Samoa was pleased with the inclusion of the Teieniwa Vision in the Zero Draft of the Political Declaration. The Teieniwa Vision was endorsed in the Pacific Leaders Summit held earlier this year and Samoa’s Prime Minister was the keynote speaker. Said Ms. Strickland,

“It is important for the political declaration to encourage such high-level initiatives to ensure engagement at the highest level to drive political commitment to the implementation of UNCAC.”

Ms. Strickland further highlighted the importance of interlinkages, identifying synergies and the complementarity of efforts to implement UNCAC, the SDGs, and other Human Rights Conventions. This should be reflected also in the Political Declaration. For Samoa, interlinkages are an important part also of human rights approach to Sustainable Development.