Key developments since May 2005: Cook Islands ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 16 March 2006, and the treaty entered into force for the country on 1 September 2006.
Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Henry signed the Mine Ban Treaty for the Cook Islands in Ottawa on 3 December 1997. The country officially deposited its instrument of ratification on 16 March 2006. The treaty entered into force for the Cook Islands on 1 September 2006. It became the 150th State Party to the treaty.
In 2002, a government official indicated that the delay in ratification was due in part to a shortage of technical expertise, and that cost was another factor.[1] Ratification legislation was prepared in 2003,[2] but it was not put before parliament because of the internal political situation and elections, which resulted in a focus only on domestic issues.[3]
The country’s initial Article 7 transparency report is due on 28 February 2007. The status of national implementation measures, as called for in Article 9, is not yet known.
Cook Islands did not participate in the Mine Ban Treaty’s intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2005 and May 2006, nor the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005.
Cook Islands is not a member of the UN and therefore has not voted on any of the annual UN General Assembly resolutions calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.
The Cook Islands has never produced, transferred, stockpiled or used antipersonnel mines.[4] It is not mine-affected.
[1] Letter from George Turia, Chief Executive to the Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Cook Islands, to Elizabeth Bernstein, ICBL Coordinator, 10 August 2002.
[2] Email from James Gosselin, Legal Advisor for International Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Wellington (New Zealand), 4 July 2003.
[3] Telephone interview with Edwin Pittman, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Wellington (New Zealand), 16 July 2003.
[4] Interview with James Gosselin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Wellington (New Zealand), 30 March 2001.