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]
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]
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 | Hungary | 20 September 2018 [47] |
50 | Greece | 20 October 2018 [48] |
51 | Indonesia | 12 July 2019 [49] |
52 | Kuwait | 8 December 2021 [50] |
53 | Vietnam | 26 April 2022 [51] |
54 | Ireland | 21 November 2022 [52] |
55 | Saudi Arabia | 11 April 2023 [53] |
56 | Canada | 20 May 2023 [54] |
57 | United States | 25 September 2023 [55] |
58 | Ghana | 8 November 2023 [56] |
59 | Mexico | 21 November 2023 [57] |
60 | Panama | 8 March 2024 [58] |
61 | Bangladesh | 11 April 2024 [59] |
62 | Ecuador | 21 May 2024 [60] |
63 | Seychelles | 31 May 2024 [61] |
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
New Zealand | 1993 [6] |
|
The following countries have established consular relations with the Cook Islands only.
Fiji has experienced many coups recently, in 1987, 2000, and 2006. Fiji has been suspended various times from the Commonwealth of Nations, a grouping of mostly former British colonies. It was readmitted to the Commonwealth in December 2001, following the parliamentary election held to restore democracy in September that year, and has been suspended again because of the 2006 coup, but has been readmitted a second time after the 2014 election. Other Pacific Island governments have generally been sympathetic to Fiji's internal political problems and have declined to take public positions.
The foreign relations of Japan are handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Kiribati is a full member of the Commonwealth, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. Kiribati hosted the Thirty-First Pacific Islands Forum in October 2000. Kiribati has Least Developed Country Status and its interests rarely extend beyond the region. Through accession to the Lomé Convention, then Cotonou Agreement, Kiribati is also a member of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group. Kiribati maintains good relations with most countries and has particularly close ties to Pacific neighbours Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. Kiribati briefly suspended its relations with France in 1995 over that country's decision to renew nuclear testing in the South Pacific.
Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand. It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is part of Polynesia, and predominantly inhabited by Polynesians. The island is commonly referred to as "The Rock", which comes from the traditional name "Rock of Polynesia".
The foreign relations of New Zealand are oriented chiefly toward developed democratic nations and emerging Pacific Island economies. Until the late 20th century, New Zealand aligned itself strongly with the United Kingdom and had few bilateral relationships with other countries. From the latter half of the 20th century, Australia has been New Zealand's most important cultural, economic and military partner. Today, the country participates in several multilateral political organisations, including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Community, and the Pacific Islands Forum. New Zealand has been described as an emerging power; however, such a claim needs to be considered in the context of its medium-sized economy and limited military capability. The country's major political parties have generally agreed on the broad outlines of foreign policy, and the government has been active in promoting free trade, nuclear disarmament, and arms control.
Papua New Guinea's foreign policy reflects close ties with Australia and other traditional allies and cooperative relations with neighboring countries. Its views on international political and economic issues are generally moderate.
Nauru, following independence from the United Kingdom, became a sovereign, independent republic on 31 January 1968. Nauru has established diplomatic relations with a number of nations, including most of its Pacific neighbors with which it maintains economic, cultural and administrative ties.
An associated state is the minor partner or dependent territory in a formal, free relationship between a political territory and a major party—usually a larger nation.
From 1916 to 1975, Tuvalu was part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony of the United Kingdom. A referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the separate British colonies of Kiribati and Tuvalu were formed. Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations.
The Realm of New Zealand is the area over which the monarch of New Zealand is head of state. The realm is not a federation but is a collection of states and territories united under its monarch. New Zealand is an independent and sovereign state that has one territorial claim in Antarctica, one dependent territory (Tokelau), and two associated states. The Realm of New Zealand encompasses the three autonomous jurisdictions of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Niue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) (Māori: Manatū Aorere) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on foreign and trade policy, and promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and international relations.
Niue maintains diplomatic relations with various other countries and multilateral organizations.
Antigua and Barbuda maintains diplomatic relations with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China, as well as with many Latin American countries and neighbouring Eastern Caribbean states. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, Petrocaribe and the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS).
China-Niuean relations are relations between China and Niue.
Visa requirements for Israeli citizens refers to regulations pertaining to visas for holders of Israeli passports.
The political status of the Cook Islands and Niue is formally defined as being states in free association within the Realm of New Zealand, which is made up of the Cook Islands, Niue, and New Zealand and its territories, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency. The Cook Islands and Niue do not have full constitutional independence from New Zealand but act as independent countries. Some countries have recognised them as sovereign entities and established diplomatic relations. However, New Zealand may carry out defence and foreign affairs on behalf of the two associated states when requested.
India–Niue relations are the bilateral relations between India and Niue.
Singapore has established diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, ... Niue, ...