I am often asked about the most memorable encounters that I’ve had while travelling all over the world meeting leaders, experts, our Samoa diaspora and people of different and interesting cultures.
It is true that my professional career and life in public office has offered me the privilege and honour to represent Samoa at some of the most important events in our time.
Signing the Paris Agreement and the adoption of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SAMOA Pathway were such occasions when a small nation takes its place amongst the most powerful in the world.
It also marked the extraordinary work that our Samoan experts and civil servants had done to bring us to that stage.
For many, it marked Samoa’s coming of age as a contributor at the global discussion, and not simply a participant.
To see many of our Samoan experts continuing to contribute and lead at today’s global events on economic, social and environmental issues is immensely rewarding.
While travelling on our official government business, we were able to find innovative ideas to help us resolve tricky situations!
The idea to convert the Tuanaimato Sporting Complex into the conference centre for the 2014 SIDS Conference came to us while attending meetings in other parts of the World.
It helped us resolve the need to find a venue big enough to replicate the UN General Assembly Hall.
Samoa also showed the sustainable use of the Tuanamaito complex after we hosted the Pacific Games and Commonwealth Youth Games.
It was even used as a venue for the opening of the recent CHOGM Meeting.
Meeting our diaspora was a chance to warmly reunite with old friends who chose to pursue new opportunities overseas.
We learned about their successes and challenges and shared a laugh about good old times.
These overseas visits were all rewarding experiences that gave us great ideas on how to improve our nation.
However, when I reflect on all those global meetings and events, I found that the most rewarding meetings were my weekly open-door sessions with our people right here in the Prime Minister’s office in Apia, where appointments were not necessary.
The other was my weekly press conferences, where I sparred with our local journalists!
Meeting people without appointments is something I still enjoy doing today.
The open-door meetings gave our Samoan people the chance to share their problems and grievances directly with their leader.
Most importantly, we were able to resolve a lot of their issues, both big and small.
I am often told that many exciting life journeys began in those weekly open-door meetings.
I constantly directed my Ministers to cut their travels and focus more on their duties at home.
And very often, Fiame grumbled at my love letters as they described my directives.
I enjoyed reading yesterday’s Samoa Observer’s headline “Only four Ministers in country, 11 overseas”.
The lesson is that you can travel, meet and talk all over the world but your actions at home is what matters.
Otherwise, it is just all talk, no action.
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Leader of HRPP