Foreign relations of the Cook Islands

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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]

Contents

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:

Diplomatic relations of Cook Islands.svg
#CountryDate
1Flag of Norway.svg Norway 18 July 1991 [4]
2Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia 2 May 1992 [5]
3Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 1993 [6]
4Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 1994 [6]
5Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru 1994 [6]
6Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal 12 August 1995 [7]
7Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea 1995 [6]
8Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 9 February 1996 [8]
9Flag of Iran.svg Iran 1996 [6]
10Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 25 July 1997 [9]
11Flag of Spain.svg Spain 29 January 1998 [10]
12Flag of India.svg India May 1998 [11] [12]
13Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji 14 July 1998 [13]
—Flag of Vatican City (2023-present).svg Holy See 29 April 1999 [14]
14Flag of France.svg France 19 October 1999 [15]
15Flag of Germany.svg Germany 11 September 2001 [16]
16Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba 2 September 2002 [17]
17Flag of East Timor.svg Timor-Leste 2002 [6]
18Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 14 May 2003 [18]
19Flag of Italy.svg Italy 9 October 2003 [19]
20Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 6 April 2005 [20]
21Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 24 May 2005 [21]
22Flag of Israel.svg Israel April 2008 [22]
23Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 12 May 2008 [23]
24Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 20 October 2008 [24]
25Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 7 March 2011 [25]
26Flag of Japan.svg Japan 16 June 2011 [26]
27Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 16 August 2011 [27]
28Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines 12 December 2011 [28]
29Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore 6 August 2012 [29]
30Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 22 February 2013 [30]
31Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa 30 August 2013 [31]
32Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu August 2013 [32]
33Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands 1 September 2013 [33]
34Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati 3 September 2013 [34]
35Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands 3 September 2013 [34]
36Flag of Palau.svg Palau 3 September 2013 [34]
—Flag of Niue.svg Niue 2013 [6]
37Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu 2013 [6]
38Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Federated States of Micronesia 24 September 2014 [35]
39Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga 18 November 2014 [36]
—Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo 28 May 2015 [37]
40Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 21 August 2015 [38]
41Flag of Chile.svg Chile 3 August 2016 [39]
42Flag of Peru.svg Peru September 2017 [40]
43Flag of Malta.svg Malta 6 October 2017 [41]
44Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland 13 October 2017 [42]
45Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda 9 November 2017 [43]
46Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates 5 August 2018 [44]
47Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 25 August 2018 [45]
48Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 20 September 2018 [46]
49Flag of Greece.svg Greece 20 October 2018 [47]
50Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 12 July 2019 [48]
51Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait 8 December 2021 [49]
52Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 26 April 2022 [50]
53Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 21 November 2022 [51]
54Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia 11 April 2023 [52]
55Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 20 May 2023 [53]
56Flag of the United States.svg United States 25 September 2023 [54]
57Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 8 November 2023 [55]
58Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 21 November 2023 [56]
59Flag of Panama.svg Panama 8 March 2024 [57]
60Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 11 April 2024 [58]
61Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 21 May 2024 [59]
62Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles 31 May 2024 [60]
63Flag of Poland.svg Poland 20 March 2025 [61]
64Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan 29 April 2025 [62]
65Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia 14 May 2025 [63]

Bilateral relations

CountryFormal Relations BeganNotes
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 1997 [9]

The Chinese Embassy to New Zealand in Wellington is also accredited to the Cook Islands. [64]

Flag of India.svg India 1998 [65]
  • The Indian High Commission in Suva, Fiji is accredited to the Cook Islands. [65]
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 1993 [6]
  • The Cook Islands maintains a High Commission in Wellington and a Consul-General in Auckland. [66]
  • New Zealand maintains a High Commission in Rarotonga. [67]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom N/A
Cook Islander Prime Minister Mark Brown with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at a United Nations General Assembly in New York City, September 2023. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly attends UNGA Day 2 (53198943014).jpg
Cook Islander Prime Minister Mark Brown with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly at a United Nations General Assembly in New York City, September 2023.

The Cook Islands has not established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom; the UK does not recognise the Cook Islands to be a sovereign nation.

  • The Cook Islands does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom.
  • The United Kingdom is not accredited to the Cook Islands through an embassy; the UK develops relations through its high commission in Wellington, New Zealand. [68]

The UK governed the Cook Islands from 1888 to 1901, when the Cook Islands were transferred to New Zealand. [69]

Both countries share common membership of the World Health Organization.

Flag of the United States.svg United States 2023 [70]

The Cook Islands signed the Cook Islands–United States Maritime Boundary Treaty in 1980. [71] The US established diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands in 25 September 2023. [70]

Consular relations

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

International organisation participation

43rd Pacific Islands Forum, in the Cook Islands, 28.8.-1.9.2012 43rd Pacific43rd Pacific Islands Forum, Cook Islands. Islands Forum, Cook Islands. (10656271245).jpg
43rd Pacific Islands Forum, in the Cook Islands, 28.8.-1.9.2012

Participation in international treaties and conventions

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Cook Islands Honorary Consul is appointed to and acknowledged in Monaco since 2007 or before. [72] [73]
  2. ↑ including the Facility Agreement with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. [79]

References

  1. 1 2 "Cook Islands: Constitutional status and international personality" (PDF). New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2005. p. 2. Retrieved 28 July 2025– via Cook Islands Parliament.
  2. 1 2 3 Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs, Supplement No. 8, Volume VI at para 11 Archived 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). Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2015). "Pacific relations". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  7. ↑ "Ilhas Cook" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Cook Islands". Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Joint Communique Between the People's Republic of China and the Cook Islands on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". Embassy of the People's Republic of China to New Zealand. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Islas Cook" (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 3. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  11. ↑ Summary of World Broadcasts: Asia, Pacific. Vol. 3960–3971. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2000. p. 11.
  12. ↑ "Former High Commissioners" . Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Formal diplomatic relations list" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "Diplomatic relations of the Holy See" . Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Liste Chronologique des Ambassadeurs, Envoyés Extraordinaires, Ministres Plénipotentiaires et Chargés D'Affaires de France à L'Étranger Depuis 1945" (PDF) (in French). p. 52.
  16. ↑ "Deutschland und die Cookinseln: Bilaterale Beziehungen". German Foreign Ministry. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  17. ↑ "Cuba e Islas Cook festejan 15 años de relaciones diplomáticas" (in Spanish). 1 September 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  18. ↑ "Countries with which Jamaica has Established Diplomatic Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  19. ↑ "STATI DI SERVIZIO DEL PERSONALE DELLA CARRIERA DIPLOMATICA E DELLA DIRIGENZA DEL MINISTERO DEGLI AFFARI ESTERI CHE HA CESSATO DI FAR PARTE DELL'AMMINISTRAZIONE DAL 1° GENNAIO 2000 AL 30 MAGGIO 2014" (PDF) (in Italian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "SERVICE PUBLIC FEDERAL AFFAIRES ETRANGERES, COMMERCE EXTERIEUR ET COOPERATION AU DEVELOPPEMENT" (in French). 6 April 2005. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "หมู่เกาะคุก (Cook Islands)" (in Thai). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "The Cook Islands". 10 July 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  23. ↑ "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.
  24. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic (2011). "Türkiye–Cook Adaları Siyasi İlişkileri" [Turkey-Cook Islands Political Relations] (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  25. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-03-07). "Cook Islands and Switzerland establish diplomatic relations". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  26. ↑ "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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-17. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  27. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-08-16). "Cook Islands and Netherlands establish diplomatic relations". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  28. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-12-16). "The Cook Islands and the Philippines Establish Formal Diplomatic Ties". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  29. ↑ "Singapore established bilateral relations with Niue and Cook Islands on 6 August 2012". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Singapore has established diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, ... Niue, ...
  30. ↑ "KOREA ESTABLISHES DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE COOK ISLANDS". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. 25 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2014. The Cook Islands will mark the 190th country with which Korea has forged diplomatic relations.
  31. ↑ "Foreign Affairs & Trade Bulletin" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  32. ↑ "Tuvalu PM visits Rarotonga". Cook Islands News. 30 October 2013. p. 9. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  33. ↑ "Solomon Islands Diplomatic and Consular List". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Solomon Islands. 1 June 2020. pp. 36–38. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  34. 1 2 3 "Cook Island establishes diplomatic relations with Kiribati, Palau and Marshall Islands". 4 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  35. ↑ "FSM Diplomatic Relations List". Government of the Federated States of Micronesia. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  36. ↑ "Diplomatic relations with all Pacific Island Forum members complete". Cook Islands News. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  37. ↑ Gëzim Visoka (2018). Acting Like a State: Kosovo and the Everyday Making of Statehood. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 219–221. ISBN   9781138285330.
  38. ↑ Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Brazil and the Cook Islands , retrieved 2015-09-01
  39. ↑ "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.
  40. ↑ "The Cook Islands expand relations with Latin American countries". Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration. 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  41. ↑ "Joint communique". Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  42. ↑ "Iceland - Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". Government of Iceland. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  43. ↑ "Antigua and Barbuda Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Cook Islands". Antigua Chronicle. 2017-11-15. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  44. ↑ "UAE, Cook Islands sign deal to establish diplomatic relations". The Gulf Today. 5 August 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  45. ↑ "Estonia and Cook Islands establish diplomatic relations". MFA Estonia. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  46. ↑ "Cook Islands formalize diplomatic relations with Hungary". Facebook . 24 September 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  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. ↑ "Indonesia Buka Hubungan Diplomatik dengan Niue dan Kepulauan Cook". detikNews (in Indonesian). 12 July 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  49. ↑ "Kuwait signs a joint statement with the Cook Islands to establish diplomatic relations". 8 December 2021. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. 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. ↑ Bravo, Alfredo Pérez (21 November 2023). "México fortalece su presencia en el Pacífico Sur. Con la Alta Comisionada HE Kairangi Samuela, tuve el honor de realizar el canje de notas con el cual se reconoció la existencia de relaciones diplomáticas entre México e Islas Cook" (in Spanish).
  57. ↑ "THE COOK ISLANDS FORMALISE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH PANAMA". 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  58. ↑ "Cook Islands and Bangladesh Establish Diplomatic Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Government of the Cook Islands. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  59. ↑ "Ecuador firma un acuerdo con Islas Cook, que beneficia a la flota pesquera" (in Spanish). 23 May 2024.
  60. ↑ "Seychelles and Cooks Islands formalise diplomatic relations on margins of SIDS4". 31 May 2024.
  61. ↑ "Diplomatic and consular relations established between Republic of Poland and Cook Islands". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  62. ↑ "The Cook Islands and Azerbaijan Formalise Diplomatic Ties". Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration's on Facebook. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  63. ↑ "Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Cook Islands". mfaic.gov.kh. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  64. ↑ "China-Cook Islands". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  65. 1 2 "India – Cook Islands Relations" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  66. ↑ "Overseas Mission". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  67. ↑ "New Zealand High Commission to the Cook Islands". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  68. ↑ "British High Commission Wellington". GOV.UK . Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  69. ↑ BBC News (9 January 2018). "Cook Islands Profile". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  70. 1 2 "US recognizes Cook Islands and Niue as independent states | CNN Politics". CNN . September 25, 2023.
  71. ↑ Anderson, Ewan W. (2003). International Boundaries: A Geopolitical Atlas, p. 595; Charney, Jonathan I. et al. (2005). International Maritime Boundaries, 5 vols, pp. 985–993.
  72. ↑ 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)
  73. ↑ Honorary Consul in Monaco Archived 2016-01-30 at the Wayback Machine
  74. ↑ Zabeena (2015-06-22). "Cook Islands joins ILO". Fiji Television Limited. Archived from the original on 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  75. ↑ "The World Factbook 2020: Cook Islands". CIA. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  76. ↑ "NZ may be invited to join proposed ‘Polynesian Triangle’ ginger group", Pacific Scoop, 19 September 2011
  77. ↑ "New Polynesian Leaders Group formed in Samoa", Radio New Zealand International, 18 November 2011
  78. ↑ "American Samoa joins Polynesian Leaders Group, MOU signed". Samoa News. Savalii. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  79. ↑ CBTO Preparatory Commission. "Cook Islands tenth State signatory to have signed Facility Agreement" . Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  80. ↑ International Mobile Satellite Organization (2015). "Member States". Archived from the original on 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
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