A daughter of Samoa, Galumalemana Anne Rasmussen has been commended by leaders in the region and around the world for being the "voice of millions" and "championing the call for change" at the COP28 meeting this week.

Galumalemana who is the Alliance of Small Island States (A.O.S.I.S.) Lead Negotiator spoke at the 28th session of the Conference of Parties to U.N.F.C.C.C. Closing Plenary on Wednesday.

She also spoke about the Global Stocktake (G.S.T.) Decision.

The GST is a process for countries and stakeholders to see where they’re collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement – and where they’re not.

"We did not want to interrupt you, but we are a little confused about what just happened," Galumalemana said.

"It seems that you gavelled the decisions, and the small island developing states were not in the room.

"We were working hard to coordinate the 39 small island developing states that are disproportionally affected by climate change, and so were delayed in coming here.

"So, we will deliver the state that we were going to deliver before this text was adopted without us."

Galumalemana said A.O.S.I.S. which Samoa currently chairs, at the beginning of COP28 had one objective and that is to ensure that 1.5 is safeguarded in "a meaningful way".

"The draft text you have presented to us contains many good elements. We see strong references to the science complemented by a clear runway with milestones for strengthening Party efforts to prepare and submit enhanced NDCs through to 2025.

"We also welcome the establishment of the technology implementation programme. These elements are important.

"The question we have considered as AOSIS is whether they are enough. Zoning in on paragraphs 26-29 of this draft decision we have come to the conclusion that the course correction that is needed has not yet been secured. We have made an incremental advancement over business as usual when what we really needed is an exponential step-change in our actions and support.

"Mr. President, in paragraph 26 we do not see any commitment or even an invitation for Parties to peak emissions by 2025.

"We reference the science throughout the text and even in this paragraph but then we refrain from an agreement to take the relevant action in order to act in line with what the science says we have to do.

"It is not enough for us to reference the science and then make agreements that ignore what the science is telling us we need to do. This is not an approach that we should be asked to defend."

"Mr. President, on paragraph 11, we have requested repeatedly that this be moved to the preamble to be in line with the Paris Agreement. We do not want to renegotiate the Paris Agreement. This reasonable request has been ignored.

Galumalemana has been praised for shouldering the pain of generations and championed the call for change.

"She led courageously from the front, piloting us through the turbulence of the past few hours," A.O.S.I.S. Chair wrote on its official social media account.

"We are truly proud to have this warrior on our side."

Galumalemana was renominated to represent A.O.S.I.S on the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties (C.O.P) to the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change back in 2021.

The Bureau was tasked for advising the President of the COP and taking decisions with the general management of the intergovernmental process as it has overall responsibility for questions of process.

She first undertook this role in 2020 and was renominated by Small Islands Developing States to continue through to 2022.

Galumalemana is the Assistant Chief Executive Officer (A.C.E.O) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Climate Change and G.E.F. Division.