Foreign relations of the Cook Islands

The Cook Islands maintains diplomatic relations with various countries and is a member of multilateral organisations. While the country is in free association with New Zealand, which can act on the Cook Islands' "delegated authority [...] to assist the Cooks Islands" in foreign affairs,^[1] the Cook Islands nevertheless enters into treaty obligations and otherwise "interacts with the international community as a sovereign and independent state."^[1]

History

In the 1980s the Cook Islands became a member of several United Nations specialized agencies: the World Health Organization in 1984, the Food and Agriculture Organization and UNESCO in 1985, and the International Civil Aviation Organization in 1986. The Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs records that in 1988 New Zealand declared "that its future participation in international agreements would no longer extend to the Cook Islands..."^[2] In 1991 the Cook Islands became a full member of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Preparatory Committee and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change (INC), which the Repertory of Practice describes as "further evidence that the international community had accepted the Cook Islands as a “State” under international law."^[2] The United Nations Secretariat therefore "recognized the full treaty-making capacity of the Cook Islands" in 1992^[2] and the Secretary-General, in his capacity as the depository of multilateral treaties, decided that the Cook Islands could participate in treaties that were open to "all states".^[3]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries with which the Cook Islands maintains diplomatic relations:

#	Country	Date
1	Norway	18 July 1991^[4]
2	Malaysia	2 May 1992^[5]
3	New Zealand	1993^[6]
4	Australia	1994^[6]
5	Nauru	1994^[6]
6	Portugal	12 August 1995^[7]
7	Papua New Guinea	1995^[6]
8	South Africa	9 February 1996^[8]
9	Iran	1996^[6]
10	China	25 July 1997^[9]
11	United Kingdom	4 December 1997^[10]
12	Spain	29 January 1998^[11]
13	India	May 1998^[12]^[13]
14	Fiji	14 July 1998^[14]
—	Holy See	29 April 1999^[15]
15	France	19 October 1999^[16]
16	Germany	11 September 2001^[17]
17	Cuba	2 September 2002^[18]
18	East Timor	2002^[6]
19	Jamaica	14 May 2003^[19]
20	Italy	9 October 2003^[20]
21	Belgium	6 April 2005^[21]
22	Thailand	24 May 2005^[22]
23	Israel	April 2008^[23]
24	Czech Republic	12 May 2008^[24]
25	Turkey	20 October 2008^[25]
26	Switzerland	7 March 2011^[26]
27	Japan	16 June 2011^[27]
28	Netherlands	16 August 2011^[28]
29	Philippines	12 December 2011^[29]
30	Singapore	6 August 2012^[30]
31	South Korea	12 February 2013^[31]
32	Samoa	30 August 2013^[32]
33	Tuvalu	August 2013^[33]
34	Solomon Islands	1 September 2013^[34]
35	Kiribati	3 September 2013^[35]
36	Marshall Islands	3 September 2013^[35]
37	Palau	3 September 2013^[35]
—	Niue	2013^[6]
38	Vanuatu	2013^[6]
39	Federated States of Micronesia	24 September 2014^[36]
40	Tonga	18 November 2014^[37]
—	Kosovo	28 May 2015^[38]
41	Brazil	21 August 2015^[39]
42	Chile	3 August 2016^[40]
43	Peru	September 2017^[41]
44	Malta	6 October 2017^[42]
45	Iceland	13 October 2017^[43]
46	Antigua and Barbuda	9 November 2017^[44]
47	United Arab Emirates	5 August 2018^[45]
48	Estonia	25 August 2018^[46]
49	Greece	20 October 2018^[47]
50	Indonesia	12 July 2019^[48]
51	Kuwait	8 December 2021^[49]
52	Vietnam	26 April 2022^[50]
53	Ireland	21 November 2022^[51]
54	Saudi Arabia	11 April 2023^[52]
55	Canada	20 May 2023^[53]
56	United States	25 September 2023^[54]
57	Ghana	8 November 2023^[55]

Consular relations

The following countries have established consular relations with the Cook Islands only.

•   Monaco 2007 or before^{[note 1]}
•   Panama 2016 or before^[58]

International organisation participation

 

43rd Pacific Islands Forum, in the Cook Islands, 28.8.-1.9.2012

• ACP, AOSIS, AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IMO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO^[59] IOC, OPCW, Pacific Islands Forum, Red Cross/Red Crescent, South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, WHO, WMO^[60]
• Commonwealth of Nations – the Cook Islands are part of the Commonwealth, but is not a member state, being a dependency of New Zealand, whose Commonwealth membership covers the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau, as well as New Zealand itself.
• In November 2011, the Cook Islands were one of the eight founding members of Polynesian Leaders Group, a regional grouping intended to cooperate on a variety of issues including culture and language, education, responses to climate change, and trade and investment.^[61][62][63]
• The Cook Islands participate in the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations regulatory body for the shipping trade.

Participation in international treaties and conventions

• Party to the following treaties and conventions: Biodiversity Convention, Cotonou Agreement, Geneva Conventions, POPs Project, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCLOS, UNFCCC and its Kyoto protocol, Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty,^{[note 2]} International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, Biological Weapons Convention, Convention of the International Mobile Satellite Organization^[65]

See also

• List of diplomatic missions of the Cook Islands
• List of diplomatic missions in the Cook Islands
• Foreign relations of Niue
• Foreign relations of New Zealand
• Politics of the Cook Islands

Notes

1. Cook Islands Honorary Consul is appointed to and acknowledged in Monaco since 2007 or before.^[56][57]
2. including the Facility Agreement with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.^[64]

References

1. Joint Centenary Declaration of the Principles of the Relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, clause 4; signed by the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands at Rarotonga on 11 June 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
2. Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs, Supplement No. 8, Volume VI at para 11 2013-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
3. Summary of Practice of the Secretary-General as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties (United Nations, New York, 1999) at para 86
4. "Norges opprettelse av diplomatiske forbindelser med fremmede stater" [Norway's establishment of diplomatic relations with foreign states] (PDF) (in Norwegian). 1999-04-27. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
5. "Senarai tarikh penubuhan hubungan diplomatik Malaysia dan negara - negara luar" (in Malay). Retrieved 13 November 2021.
6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2015). . Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
7. "Ilhas Cook" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 July 2022.
8. . Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
9. "Joint Communique Between the People's Republic of China and the Cook Islands on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". 28 October 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
10. "Reference: FS50870253" (PDF). 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
11. "Islas Cook" (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 3. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
12. Summary of World Broadcasts: Asia, Pacific. Vol. 3960–3971. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2000. p. 11.
13. "Former High Commissioners". Retrieved 21 May 2023.
14. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
15. "Diplomatic relations of the Holy See". Retrieved 5 September 2022.
16. "Liste Chronologique des Ambassadeurs, Envoyés Extraordinaires, Ministres Plénipotentiaires et Chargés D'Affaires de France à L'Étranger Depuis 1945" (PDF) (in French). p. 52.
17. "Deutschland und die Cookinseln: Bilaterale Beziehungen". German Foreign Ministry. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
18. "Cuba e Islas Cook festejan 15 años de relaciones diplomáticas" (in Spanish). 1 September 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
19. . Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
20. (PDF) (in Italian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
21. "SERVICE PUBLIC FEDERAL AFFAIRES ETRANGERES, COMMERCE EXTERIEUR ET COOPERATION AU DEVELOPPEMENT" (in French). Retrieved 9 December 2021.
22. "หมู่เกาะคุก (Cook Islands)" (in Thai). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
23. "The Cook Islands". 10 July 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
24. "Souhrnná teritoriální informace Cookovy ostrovy" [Summary of territorial information Cook Islands] (PDF) (in Czech). Czech Embassy Canberra & Czech Consulate Sydney. 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
25. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic (2011). [Turkey-Cook Islands Political Relations] (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
26. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-03-07). . Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
27. "Establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Cook Islands and a courtesy call by Mr Takeaki Matsumoto, Foreign Minister of Japan to Hon Henry Puna, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands" (PDF). Embassy of Japan in New Zealand. 2011-06-20. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
28. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-08-16). . Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
29. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-12-16). . Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
30. . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Singapore has established diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, ... Niue, ...
31. "Korea, Cook Islands to begin diplomatic ties". The Korea Herald. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
32. "Foreign Affairs & Trade Bulletin" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
33. "Tuvalu PM visits Rarotonga". Cook Islands News. 30 October 2013. p. 9. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
34. "Solomon Islands Diplomatic and Consular List". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Solomon Islands. 1 June 2020. pp. 36–38. from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
35. . 4 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
36. "FSM Diplomatic Relations List". Government of the Federated States of Micronesia. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
37. "Diplomatic relations with all Pacific Island Forum members complete". Cook Islands News. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
38. Gëzim Visoka (2018). Acting Like a State: Kosovo and the Everyday Making of Statehood. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 219–221. ISBN 9781138285330.
39. Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Brazil and the Cook Islands, retrieved 2015-09-01
40. "His Excellency Isauro Torres Negri, Ambassador of Chile and His Excellency Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez, Ambassador of Cuba both presented their credentials to the Queens Representative, His Excellency Tom Marsters at Government House 3rd August 2016". Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
41. "The Cook Islands expand relations with Latin American countries". Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration. 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
42. "Joint communique". Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
43. "Iceland - Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". Government of Iceland. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
44. . Antigua Chronicle. 2017-11-15. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
45. . The Gulf Today. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
46. "Estonia and Cook Islands establish diplomatic relations". MFA Estonia. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
47. "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Announcement on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands". Embassy of Greece in Canberra. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
48. Association, Pacific Islands News (14 July 2019). "Cook Islands establish diplomatic relations with Indonesia". Pina. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
49. "Kuwait signs a joint statement with the Cook Islands to establish diplomatic relations". 8 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
50. "Vietnam, Cook Islands Establish Diplomatic Relations". 26 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
51. "COOK ISLANDS AND IRELAND COMMIT TO STRENGTHEN CO-OPERATION". 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
52. "Saudi Arabia, Cook Islands sign protocol to establish diplomatic relations between them". 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
53. "COOK ISLANDS AND CANADA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS". mfai.gov.ck. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
54. "On the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the United States and the Cook Islands". United States Department of State. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
55. "Marking a milestone in our relations with Pacific countries, today in Rarotonga the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Hon. @MarkBrownPM and I signed an MOU to establish diplomatic relations between our two countries". 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
56. Ordonnance Souveraine n° 1.259 du 10 août 2007 auto risant à exercer les fonctions de Consul honoraire des Iles Cook dans Notre Principauté. (Journal de Monaco Bulletin Officiel de la Principautè)
57. Honorary Consul in Monaco 2016-01-30 at the Wayback Machine
58. "Consulate of the Cook Islands in Panama City, Panama". EmbassyPages.com. 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
59. Zabeena (2015-06-22). . Fiji Television Limited. Archived from the original on 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
60. "The World Factbook 2020: Cook Islands". CIA. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
61. "NZ may be invited to join proposed ‘Polynesian Triangle’ ginger group", Pacific Scoop, 19 September 2011
62. "New Polynesian Leaders Group formed in Samoa", Radio New Zealand International, 18 November 2011
63. "American Samoa joins Polynesian Leaders Group, MOU signed". Samoa News. Savalii. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
64. CBTO Preparatory Commission. "Cook Islands tenth State signatory to have signed Facility Agreement". Retrieved 2015-10-09.
65. International Mobile Satellite Organization (2015). . Archived from the original on 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2015-10-09.

External links