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The economies of the Cook Islands, Niue and Samoa are among the better performing in the Pacific, with consistent economic growth, impressive social development and good progress in MDGs, especially MDG 1 on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (there is no MDG data for Tokelau). The Cook Islands, Niue and Samoa have already achieved MDGs 4 and 5 on child and maternal health.  Significant challenges remain in sustaining and improving achievements. Within countries, the distribution of development benefits is uneven, especially between urban and rural areas and among the main and outer islands. While extreme poverty and hunger largely do not exist in the four countries, many households still struggle to meet their basic needs, and a “poverty of opportunity” affects many communities in rural areas and the outer islands. About 20 per cent of Samoans live below the national poverty line. Many youth are disillusioned by the lack of opportunity, and suicide rates are high.

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Samoa has substantial National MDGs programmes for Samoa, Cook Islands and Niue developed and approved with the Governments and civil societies in 2004 and 2005.  The National MDGs Programmes focus on three key components:

National MDGs Advocacy Programme; Preparation of National MDGs Reports; and Integration of the MDGs into National Development Planning

Under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Multi-country Office and National MDGs Taskforces, the programmes aim to increase public awareness of and encourage national ownership of the MDGs, enable more extensive participation of marginalisedand isolated groups in national development planning, strengthen partnerships between governments and civil societies and better integrate the MDGs into national development plans and policies. An indication of the commitment of Niue, Samoa and the Cook Islands to the MDGs process and national reporting is that each countries has developed their own National MDG Reports, each have tailored the MDGs and selected targets to suit their national situation and each has made commitment to integrating the MDGs into their national development planning process and plans.

The potential of sports to effectively convey messages and influence behaviour has been increasingly recognized in recent years.  In November 2003, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 58/5 entitled “Sports as a means to promote Education, Health, Development and Peace” where it recognized the power of sport to contribute to human development. Following are some compelling reasons why the UN System in the Pacific is involved in Sports for MDGs and development programmes. Sports is about human development Sports is a uniting force Sports promotes learning and understanding Sports is about participation and inclusion Sports and economic development