Rarotonga, Cook Islands | 05 October 2026
The Cook Islands Government and United Nations have reviewed progress under the Cook Islands Country Implementation Plan 2025–2027, with a focus on what is working, where challenges remain and what needs greater attention through to 2027.
United Nations Resident Coordinator for Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau, Ms Karla Hershey, led the follow-up mission to Rarotonga.
At the centre of the visit was the second Cook Islands–United Nations Joint Steering Committee meeting for 2026, co-chaired by Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Ms Elizabeth Wright-Koteka. Eight UN agencies took part in person and online, alongside Government agencies, to assess whether support being delivered is making a practical difference.
UN support under the Plan is valued at around USD15.4 million across 78 activities. That covers 29 activities worth USD4.4 million in 2025 and 38 activities worth USD7.3 million in 2026, with 11 activities worth USD3.7 million currently budgeted for 2027.
The Committee agreed that this support be organised around five themes. People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. Under the people the focus will be on health, gender equality, labour market assessment and culture. Under Planet support will focus on climate change, agriculture and biodiversity. Under Prosperity, Peace and Partnership, the focus will be on policy engagement, linking tourism with agrifood markets, parliamentary effectiveness and national planning.
The Committee also identified emerging areas for consideration in 2027 and beyond, education, aged care, workforce development and tourism and destination stewardship.
Secretary Wright-Koteka said the partnership works best when both sides are open about what can realistically be delivered.
“If resources for an activity are uncertain, we would rather know early and plan together than find out at the end of the cycle. That conversation also runs both ways. As we look at the UN’s responsiveness, we also need to be honest about our own absorptive capacity and where Government may be the constraint, whether through approvals, counterparts, data or our ability to receive and sustain the support being offered.”
The meeting also considered who is benefiting from UN support, with Government emphasising the importance of support reaching people across the Cook Islands, including the Pa Enua, and communities that may have less access to services and opportunities.
The mission also looked ahead to the next Pacific United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2028–2032.
The Office of the Prime Minister will lead the Cook Islands contribution to that process, giving the Cook Islands an opportunity to shape the regional framework around national priorities and the lessons through the current Plan.
The focus now is on follow-through, with Government and the UN expected to confirm the key priorities, responsibilities and timeframes for the remainder of the current Plan. MFAI will continue to work closely with the UN, the Resident Coordinator’s Office and our own agencies to progress this work.
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