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Country Reports
Cook Islands, Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Cook Islands

Since the Cook Islands signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, the government has made several statements indicating that ratification of the treaty is underway, but the Cook Islands remains in the group of just nine signatory countries that have still not ratified the agreement. In its last update provided in July 2003, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Immigration told Landmine Monitor that ratification legislation had been drafted and was being considered by the Parliament.[1] The Cook Islands is not a member of the United Nations and therefore has not voted on any General Assembly resolutions encouraging universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. The Cook Islands has never produced, transferred, stockpiled or used antipersonnel mines.[2] It is not mine-affected.


[1] Email from Mr. Edwin Pittman, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, 16 July 2003. Landmine Monitor sent a request for updated information on 1 December 2003 and several faxes and emails after this date, but had not received a response as of 11 June 2004.
[2] Interview with James Gosselin, Legal Adviser for International Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Cook Islands, Wellington (New Zealand), 30 March 2001.