Cook Islands hosted one-day workshop aimed at enhancing the collaboration between the United Nations (UN) and the country which took place yesterday at the Crown Beach Resort.

The workshop facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tingika Elikana, brought together key government ministries, civil society, the private sector, and various UN agencies to discuss the country’s priorities for the coming years.

The workshop was a crucial step in operationalising the UN’s Pacific Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which guides the UN’s efforts across the Pacific region.

UN Resident Coordinator, Themba Kalua, further explained that the framework is aligned with the Pacific Leaders’ 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

“The purpose of this workshop is mainly to listen and hear from government and national partners on the priorities that they would like the UN to focus on in the next three years,” said Kalua during an interview with Cook Islands News.

“We see this as a great opportunity to build on the great work that has happened in the last two years. But we know that there is still so much more that needs to be done so we are here to listen, and we will use the insights that we gain from this workshop to work with the government to finalise a country implementation plan that is responsive to the needs of the government and the people of Cook Islands.”

The workshop also featured representatives from various UN agencies, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, UNFPA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Their participation highlighted the broad support the UN offers the Cook Islands in its national development priorities.

A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. 25021108

A representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the importance of social protection and economic inclusion as key to the country’s sustainable development during his presentation.

“I will highlight the efforts in advancing social protection and access to income and performance, both of which are crucial to our sustainable development,” he said.

In its presentation, the Ministry highlighted that their focus has been on the development of a robust tax-financed social assistance system, which now includes 13 different tax-transfer initiatives such as child benefits, assistance for the deaf and people with disabilities, newborn allowances, and government-funded maternity leave, among others.

It also focused on the country’s success in accessing climate finance, which has been critical to its resilience against climate change.

“As a small island nation, on the frontlines of climate change, the Cook Islands recognises that access to climate finance is not just an opportunity, but a necessity for our survival and sustainable development,” the representative said.

Since 2017, the Cook Islands has been a leader in securing climate financing, having become the first national direct access entity in the Pacific to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

This access has allowed the country to secure US$49 million (NZ$82 million) in funding, for renewable energy, climate services, ecological strengthening and health sector resilience.

Looking forward, the Cook Islands has plans to further enhance its climate finance resilience with several upcoming projects, including a US$35 million direct financing proposal in line with the 2019 Building Code.

Meanwhile, the UN and the Government of the Cook Islands expressed their commitment to continued collaboration.