Cook Islands has been elected to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) for 2023 – 2025.

This comes after 76 votes out of 115 voting states was secured.

The nominations for the Executive Council were composed of 150 Member States representing five IOC electoral groups, with the Cook Islands part of Group four, and serving through Permanent Delegate and Ambassador to UNESCO since 2017, Dr Nathalie Rossette-Cazel.

Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Tepaeru Herrmann, said this was a significant result, not just for the Cook Islands but for the Pacific region and Small Island developing states (SIDS) more broadly.

"It demonstrates that through concerted work by our diplomats and officials, both here on Rarotonga, overseas, and in this case, our sustained and proactive engagement in France with UNESCO via Ambassador Rosette-Cazel, we can make our voice heard and influence key decision-making to support global initiatives that will promote our national development efforts and those of our Pacific neighbours."

The IOC promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve ocean, coasts, and marine resources management. It enables Member States to work together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science, tsunami warnings, and ocean literacy.

Cook Islands joins the Executive Council alongside countries Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.

The election of the Cook Islands to the Executive Council took place during the 32nd session of the IOC/UNESCO Assembly held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in June.

Release