The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Sir
Geoffrey Henry, signed the Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa on 3 December 1997. In a
statement to the signing ceremonies, he described how the Cook Islands and other
nations of the Pacific had first learned “almost instantaneously” of
the landmine problem through the media, especially radio and television, and
that shocked and appalled at the terrible problem, “[t]he Cook Islands and
other countries of the Pacific ... were determined to lend their voices of
opposition to the continued use of anti-personnel
mines.”[1]
The Cook Islands has not yet ratified the ban treaty despite a pledge by
Henry to the treaty signing conference that “before the next session of
our Parliamenrt rises in the Cook Islands we will have given legislative effect
to the Ottawa Treaty.”
The Cook Islands is not a member of the United Nations and therefore did not
vote on key pro-ban United Nations General Assembly resolutions but as a state
it was eligible to sign the treaty.
It did not participate in any of the Ottawa Process preparatory meetings or
the formal negotiations.
It is believed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the Cook
Islands has never produced, transfered, stockpiled or used antipersonnel
landmines. Its larger neighbor, New Zealand, is responsible for its foreign
affairs and defense.
The Cook Islands is a member of the sixteen-member South Pacific Forum and at
the December 1997 treaty signing Henry noted that as Chairman of the South
Pacific Forum, he was “proud to say that many Forum member countries are
represented here ready to sign the Convention. I am confident that all will in
due course.”
[1] Hon. Sir Geoffrey Henry,
KBE, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Statement to the Signing Ceremony for
the Landmines Convention, Ottawa, 2-4 December 1997.
About Us
Our Research Products