UNESCO and SROS signed an agreement under the ‘UN Joint Programme on Ecosystem Services Building
Forward Better by Safeguarding Natural Capital and Ecosystem’ on 14 July 2022. This agreement is
expressly committing the two organizations to the development of research and actions on the protection
of endangered aquatic/marine and land plant species. This collaboration is planned to improve our
understanding of the function of – and change in – ecosystems and their consequent impact on plant
species survival as well as the medicinal value of Samoan flora. This Partnership would support local
scientific research that would also inform economic and managerial decision-making around areas of
investment for local economic growth.

Apia, 14 July 2022: The Scientific Research Organization of Samoa (SROS) and the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have signed an agreement for the partnership
to support local research in Samoa. This partnership is a result of the UN Joint Programme on Ecosystem
Services Building Forward Better by Safeguarding Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services (commonly
called, UNJP on Ecosystem Services).
The UNJP on Ecosystem Services is supporting the development of policy and planning, collection of data
and valuation of ecosystem services to support the development of scenarios for the future, reporting
against sustainable development goals (SDGs) 11-15, and building a case for investment in ecosystem
services. The ecosystem services are central to human wellbeing, which are critical for the realization of
SDGs 1 to 3.
The UNJP on Ecosystem Services is a joint initiative of the United Nations’ Joint SDG Fund and the
Government of Samoa. It is led by UNESCO with UNEP and UNESCAP as the participating UN organizations
and SPREP as the regional partner. The national implementing partners are the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment (MNRE) and SROS. The partnership with SROS brings WST 160700.80 in
phase 1 and would add WST 77,951.00 in the planned phase 2 involving actions on research findings.
Signing the Implementation Partners Agreement: Afioga Seuseu Dr Joseph Edward Tauati, Chief Executive Officer of
SROS and Ms Nisha, Director of Office and UNESCO Representative to the Pacific States Additionally, the cooperation will bring scientific capacity development to the key staff of SROS and the
development of guidelines of policy around bioethics.

Seuseu Tauati, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of SROS acknowledged the importance of the partnership in
light of the work to be undertaken by SROS in the coming months:
“SROS is grateful to the Joint SGD Fund for supporting this project. As a local research organization,
SROS strives to support Samoa’s natural capital and ecosystem services to inform and improve
policy and management efforts. We are excited and looking forward to implementing this project to
save our ecosystems.”
Acknowledging challenges to the realization of the ambitions of various global and regional conventions
on biodiversity from climate change, erosion of the ecosystems and inadequate attention to culture and
traditional knowledge, and currently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nisha, Director of the Office and
UNESCO Representative to the Pacific States, stated:
“UNESCO through its work on biodiversity promotes integration between conservation, learning and
sustainable development to offer solutions to challenges we face locally and globally. This
partnership is a step towards making sure that natural assets, including traditional knowledge, are
valued, protected and used sustainably.”
The UNJP on Ecosystem Services is planned as Samoa’s contribution to the two highly relevant UN
decades: UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for
Sustainable Development 2021-2030.
Through this partnership, UNESCO and SROS re-confirmed their commitment to long-lasting cooperation
for positive and widespread impacts, stemming from technical work under the UNJP on Ecosystem
Services.
SROS team, CEO Seuseu Dr Edward Tauati and Toleafoa Annie Tuisuga with Director for the UNESCO Office for the
Pacific States, Ms Nisha.