TheCook Islands maintainsdiplomatic relations with various countries and is a member of multilateral organisations. While the country is infree association withNew Zealand , which can act on the Cook Islands' "delegated authority [...] to assist the Cook 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 severalUnited Nations specialized agencies: theWorld Health Organization in 1984, theFood and Agriculture Organization andUNESCO in 1985, and theInternational Civil Aviation Organization in 1986. TheRepertory 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 theRepertory 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 [ edit ] List of countries with which the Cook Islands maintains diplomatic relations:
Bilateral relations [ edit ] Country Formal Relations Began Notes China 1997[ 9] The Chinese Embassy to New Zealand inWellington is also accredited to the Cook Islands.[ 66] India 1998[ 67] The Indian High Commission inSuva ,Fiji is accredited to the Cook Islands.[ 67]
Country Formal Relations Began Notes Australia 1994 SeeAustralia–Cook Islands relations Australia and the Cook Islands established diplomatic relations in 1994, with the Australian High Commissioner resident inWellington , New Zealand.[ 70] Australia has a high commission inRarotonga , opened in December 2019. For a detailed history of Australian accreditation to the Cook Islands seeList of high commissioners of Australia to the Cook Islands . Although the Cook Islands maintained a resident high commission in Canberra for some years in the 1990s, at present it has no diplomatic representation to Australia. Australia's relationship with the Cook Islands focuses on shared membership of regional organisations, trade and investment, people-to-people links and security cooperation. The 2016 census records that a diaspora of at least 22,000 Cook Islands citizens live in Australia, including in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.[ 71] There have been regular exchanges of ministerial visits. Prime MinisterHenry Puna made an official visit to Australia in November 2019. Governor-GeneralDavid Hurley made an official visit to the Cook Islands in June 2023.[ 72] New Zealand 1993[ 6] The Cook Islands maintains a High Commission inWellington and a Consul-General in Auckland.[ 73] New Zealand maintains a High Commission inRarotonga .[ 74]
The following countries have established consular relations with the Cook Islands only.
International organisation participation [ edit ] 43rdPacific Islands Forum , in the Cook Islands, 28.8.-1.9.2012 ACP ,AOSIS ,AsDB ,ESCAP (associate),FAO ,ICAO ,IMO ,ICC ,ICFTU ,IFAD ,ILO [ 77] IOC ,OPCW ,Pacific Islands Forum ,Red Cross/Red Crescent ,South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission ,Sparteca ,SPC ,UNESCO ,WHO ,WMO [ 78] 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 ofPolynesian 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.[ 79] [ 80] [ 81] The Cook Islands participate in theInternational Maritime Organization , the United Nations regulatory body for the shipping trade. Participation in international treaties and conventions [ edit ] Party to the following treaties and conventions:Biodiversity Convention ,Cotonou Agreement ,Geneva Conventions ,POPs Project ,United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification ,UNCLOS ,UNFCCC and itsKyoto 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 theInternational Mobile Satellite Organization [ 83] ^a b "Cook Islands: Constitutional status and international personality" (PDF) . New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2005. p. 2. Retrieved28 July 2025 – via Cook Islands Parliament.^a b c Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs, Supplement No. 8, Volume VI at para 11 Archived 2013-10-19 at theWayback Machine ^ Summary of Practice of the Secretary-General as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties (United Nations, New York, 1999) at para 86 ^ "Norges opprettelse av diplomatiske forbindelser med fremmede stater" [Norway's establishment of diplomatic relations with foreign states](PDF) (in Norwegian). 1999-04-27. Retrieved2017-12-02 .^ "Senarai tarikh penubuhan hubungan diplomatik Malaysia dan negara - negara luar" (in Malay).Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved13 November 2021 .^a b c d e f g h i Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2015)."Pacific relations" . Cook Islands Government. Archived fromthe original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved2015-10-08 . ^ "Ilhas Cook" (in Portuguese). Retrieved2 July 2022 .^ "Cook Islands" . Archived fromthe original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved20 May 2023 .^a b "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. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "Islas Cook" (PDF) (in Spanish). p. 3. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ Summary of World Broadcasts: Asia, Pacific . Vol. 3960– 3971.British Broadcasting Corporation . 2000. p. 11.^ "Former High Commissioners" . Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "Formal diplomatic relations list" (PDF) . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 27 August 2019. Retrieved31 March 2018 .^ "Diplomatic relations of the Holy See" . Retrieved5 September 2022 .^ "Liste Chronologique des Ambassadeurs, Envoyés Extraordinaires, Ministres Plénipotentiaires et Chargés D'Affaires de France à L'Étranger Depuis 1945" (PDF) (in French). p. 52.^ "Deutschland und die Cookinseln: Bilaterale Beziehungen" . German Foreign Ministry. 2020-05-13. Retrieved2020-05-27 .^ "Cuba e Islas Cook festejan 15 años de relaciones diplomáticas" (in Spanish). 1 September 2007. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "Countries with which Jamaica has Established Diplomatic Relations" . Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. 2014. Archived fromthe original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved2016-01-27 .^ "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 fromthe original (PDF) on 24 July 2021. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "SERVICE PUBLIC FEDERAL AFFAIRES ETRANGERES, COMMERCE EXTERIEUR ET COOPERATION AU DEVELOPPEMENT" (in French). 6 April 2005. Retrieved9 December 2021 .^ "หมู่เกาะคุก (Cook Islands)" (in Thai). Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "The Cook Islands" . 10 July 2017. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "Souhrnná teritoriální informace Cookovy ostrovy" [Summary of territorial information Cook Islands](PDF) (in Czech). Czech Embassy Canberra & Czech Consulate Sydney. 2011-01-10. Retrieved2012-10-13 .^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic (2011)."Türkiye–Cook Adaları Siyasi İlişkileri" [Turkey-Cook Islands Political Relations] (in Turkish). Archived fromthe original on 2016-02-18. Retrieved2015-10-09 . ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-03-07)."Cook Islands and Switzerland establish diplomatic relations" . Cook Islands Government. Archived fromthe original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved2015-10-09 . ^ "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 fromthe original (PDF) on 2011-09-17. Retrieved2015-10-09 .^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-08-16)."Cook Islands and Netherlands establish diplomatic relations" . Cook Islands Government. Archived fromthe original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved2015-10-09 . ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2011-12-16)."The Cook Islands and the Philippines Establish Formal Diplomatic Ties" . Cook Islands Government. Archived fromthe original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved2015-10-09 . ^ "Singapore established bilateral relations with Niue and Cook Islands on 6 August 2012" . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. Archived fromthe original on 27 July 2014.Singapore has established diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, ... Niue, ... ^ "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. Retrieved21 October 2014 .The Cook Islands will mark the 190th country with which Korea has forged diplomatic relations. ^ "Foreign Affairs & Trade Bulletin" (PDF) . p. 2. Retrieved18 June 2022 .^ "Tuvalu PM visits Rarotonga" .Cook Islands News . 30 October 2013. p. 9. Archived fromthe original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "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. Retrieved12 December 2020 .^a b c "Cook Island establishes diplomatic relations with Kiribati, Palau and Marshall Islands" . 4 September 2013. Archived fromthe original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "FSM Diplomatic Relations List" . Government of the Federated States of Micronesia. Retrieved13 November 2022 .^ "Diplomatic relations with all Pacific Island Forum members complete" .Cook Islands News . 20 November 2014. Retrieved9 October 2015 .^ Gëzim Visoka (2018).Acting Like a State: Kosovo and the Everyday Making of Statehood . Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 219– 221.ISBN 9781138285330 . ^ Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Brazil and the Cook Islands , retrieved2015-09-01 ^ "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. Retrieved2017-10-11 .^ "The Cook Islands expand relations with Latin American countries" . Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration. 2017-10-05. Retrieved2017-10-09 .^ "Joint communique" . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 21 May 2023. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "Iceland - Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" .Government of Iceland . Retrieved1 August 2021 .^ "Antigua and Barbuda Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Cook Islands" .Antigua Chronicle . 2017-11-15. Archived fromthe original on 2017-11-16. Retrieved2017-11-21 .^ "UAE, Cook Islands sign deal to establish diplomatic relations" .The Gulf Today . 5 August 2018. Archived fromthe original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved5 August 2018 .^ "Estonia and Cook Islands establish diplomatic relations" . MFA Estonia. 2018-10-25. Retrieved2018-11-11 .^ "Cook Islands formalize diplomatic relations with Hungary" .Facebook . 24 September 2018. Retrieved24 February 2024 .^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Announcement on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands" . Embassy of Greece in Canberra. 2018-10-22. Retrieved2018-11-11 .^ "Indonesia Buka Hubungan Diplomatik dengan Niue dan Kepulauan Cook" .detikNews (in Indonesian). 12 July 2019. Archived fromthe original on 4 January 2020. Retrieved2 January 2025 .^ "Kuwait signs a joint statement with the Cook Islands to establish diplomatic relations" . 8 December 2021. Archived fromthe original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved8 December 2021 .^ "Vietnam, Cook Islands Establish Diplomatic Relations" . 26 April 2022. Retrieved29 April 2023 .^ "COOK ISLANDS AND IRELAND COMMIT TO STRENGTHEN CO-OPERATION" . 21 November 2022. Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "Saudi Arabia, Cook Islands sign protocol to establish diplomatic relations between them" . 12 April 2023. Retrieved12 April 2023 .^ "COOK ISLANDS AND CANADA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS" .mfai.gov.ck . Retrieved21 May 2023 .^ "On the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the United States and the Cook Islands" .United States Department of State . Retrieved26 September 2023 .^ "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. Retrieved8 November 2023 .^ 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). ^ "THE COOK ISLANDS FORMALISE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH PANAMA" . 8 March 2024. Retrieved9 March 2024 .^ "Cook Islands and Bangladesh Establish Diplomatic Relations" .Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Government of the Cook Islands . 11 April 2024. Retrieved12 April 2024 .^ "Ecuador firma un acuerdo con Islas Cook, que beneficia a la flota pesquera" (in Spanish). 23 May 2024.^ "Seychelles and Cooks Islands formalise diplomatic relations on margins of SIDS4" . 31 May 2024.^ "Diplomatic and consular relations established between Republic of Poland and Cook Islands" .Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland . 25 March 2025. Retrieved25 March 2025 .^ "The Cook Islands and Azerbaijan Formalise Diplomatic Ties" .Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration's on Facebook . 30 April 2025. Retrieved1 May 2025 .^ "Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Cook Islands" .mfaic.gov.kh . 1 July 2025. Retrieved4 July 2025 .^a b "US recognizes Cook Islands and Niue as independent states | CNN Politics" .CNN . September 25, 2023.^ 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. ^ "China-Cook Islands" . Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand. Retrieved16 February 2025 .^a b "India – Cook Islands Relations" (PDF) .Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India . 15 January 2016. Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 29 April 2016. Retrieved22 April 2017 .^ "British High Commission Wellington" .GOV.UK .Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved19 January 2024 .^ BBC News (9 January 2018)."Cook Islands Profile" .BBC News .Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved3 September 2025 . ^ *Australian high commission to the Cook Islands * Australian High Commission Cook Islands. Retrieved 17 July 2021 ^ *Cook Islands Country Brief Archived 13 August 2021 at theWayback Machine * Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 17 July 2021 ^ *Governor-General's Program 27 June 2023 Archived 3 July 2023 at theWayback Machine * Governor-General of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2023. ^ "Overseas Mission" . Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Cook Islands Government.Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved18 April 2024 .^ "New Zealand High Commission to the Cook Islands" .New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade .Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved18 April 2024 .^ 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) ^ Honorary Consul in Monaco Archived 2016-01-30 at theWayback Machine ^ Zabeena (2015-06-22)."Cook Islands joins ILO" . Fiji Television Limited. Archived fromthe original on 2015-10-15. Retrieved2015-10-08 . ^ "The World Factbook 2020: Cook Islands" . CIA. 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