Heremoni Onosai Suapaia- Ah-Hoy Elected to SIDS DOCK Executive Council

2 October 2020, United Nations Headquarters, New York, U.S.A.: His Excellency The Rt. Honourable Keith C. Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada and President of the fifth Assembly of SIDS DOCK, is pleased to announce the election of Ms. Heremoni Onosai Supaia-Ah-Hoy, Assistant Chief Energy Officer (ACEO), Energy Policy and Coordination Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of the Independent State of Samoa, to the Executive Council of SIDS DOCK, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Organization. Ms. Supaia-Ah-Hoy, whose term expires on 31 December 2021, replaces Mr. Sione Foliaki, former ACEO for Samoa’s Energy Policy and Coordination Division, who retired in October 2019, after sterling and dedicated service to the Government of Samoa, the SIDS DOCK Executive Council and the people across Small Island Developing States.

SIDS DOCK is a United Nations (UN)-recognised international organisation established in 2015, with all the rights and privileges for addressing climate change, resilience, and energy security in small islands. SIDS DOCK represents 32 small islands and low-lying developing states across the globe, and is so named because it is designed as a “DOCKing station,” to connect the energy sector in SIDS with the global markets for finance and sustainable energy technologies. The organisation’s work is coordinated by the Secretariat, in Belmopan, Belize.

In making the announcement, Prime Minister Mitchell said that, “Ms. Suapaia-Ah-Hoy’s nomination to the Executive Council is a welcomed addition, as she brings years of experience, having been involved in helping to chart Samoa’s energy pathway to achieve a low carbon economy. She has successfully coordinated and implemented numerous projects within the Energy Policy and Coordination Division and has been recognised for her performance. Indeed, her election is a major plus for the SIDS DOCK Organisation, in terms of the advice and knowledge she will bring to the Council on how countries can utilise information systems and data harvesting to develop policies, standards and labelling. We also expect her to share expertise in targeted training and capacity building activities, and executing public awareness and education programmes critical to SIDS achieving a Blue Economy.”

Ms. Suapaia-Ah-Hoy’s election has also helped the Executive Council achieve, to the extent possible, geographic and gender balance, with due regard to major academic, scientific, educational and cultural trends, as well as each member’s field(s) of expertise. She is the second woman to join the ninemember Council, the other being Dr. Rhianna M. Neely-Murphy, Environmental Officer, Ministry of Environment and Housing, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, who serves as Rapporteur.

The Executive Council comprises nine (9) member government representatives from the Caribbean, Pacific, and Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions, who are nominated by their country’s government to serve in an individual capacity. The Council is responsible for overall policy and direction and for providing oversight and advice for the development of the organisation and to consider and approve the annual SIDS DOCK work programme and budget.

His Excellency Ronald J. Jumeau, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Seychelles to the United Nations (UN), is the current Chair of the Executive Council. In addition to Ms. Suapaia-Ah-Hoy and Dr. Rhianna M. Neely-Murphy, the other members of the Council include: His Excellency Jadgish Dharamchand Koonjul, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Mauritius to the UN; Dr. Tevita Tukunga, Director of Energy, Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change, & Communications, Government of the Kingdom of Tonga; His Excellency Samuelu Laloniu, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Tuvalu to the UN; His Excellency Mr. Conrad Hunte, Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Ambassador / Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN; Dr. Peter Allen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Ministry of Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities, Belize; The Hon. Pearnel P. Charles, Jr., Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Jamaica.

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Contacts: Christine Neves Duncan, Project Director, SIDS DOCK
                secretariat@sidsdock.org 

                Heremoni Onosai Suapaia-Ah Hoy,
                Assistant Chief Executive Officer,
                Ministry of Finance
                heremoni.suapaia@mof.gov.ws