As the Cook Islands commemorates 60 years of self-governance, debates about sovereignty and the country’s relationships with Aotearoa New Zealand and other nations abroad have developed.

Government decision-making, national priorities and potential security risks associated with development partner agreements have been points of contention.

These topics will be discussed at an insightful panel event on “Sovereignty, Development and Security – Partners Present and Future”, to be held tomorrow from 6pm to 8pm at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Cook Islands campus.

Cook Islands is a self-governing state in “free association” with New Zealand. Although the Cook Islands conducts its own affairs, New Zealand has a constitutional responsibility to respond to requests for assistance with foreign affairs, disasters and defence from the Government of the Cook Islands. Cook Islanders are New Zealand citizens.

The panellists will present the risks and opportunities of foreign influence on the Cook Islands and diplomacy.

Bringing together local and international perspectives, the discussion will consider the geopolitical (how geography impacts political power and interactions on a global scale), economic and social impacts of external partnerships for the Cook Islands.

The panel members are Merita Tuari’i, Louisa Wall, Elizabeth Wright-Koteka, Professor Anne-Marie Brady FRSNZ and Josh Mitchell.

Tuari’i is a senior researcher at Te Puna Vai Mārama Cook Islands Centre for Research (TPVM). She has previously worked in government and non-government roles in the Cook Islands, including at the Central Policy and Planning at the Office of the Prime Minister. Tuari’i holds a Master’s in Asia Pacific Studies from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, where she specialised in international relations. She has conducted research on the trilateral cooperation between the Cook Islands, New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China, and public opinion of deep sea mining in the Cook Islands.

Wall is a dedicated advocate for gender equality, indigenous rights, and SOGIESC (sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics) issues. She is a former NZ Member of Parliament and has served as co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) NZ. Wall remains a strong voice on sovereignty, human rights and equitable development in the region.

Wright-Koteka is a former Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand (2018 to 2022), and current Secretary of Infrastructure (ICI). She has a Master’s degree in Development Studies. She is a former chief of staff at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Professor Brady is a specialist in China-Pacific politics, polar politics and New Zealand foreign policy. She has written op eds for the New York Times, The Guardian, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Financial Times, among others. She is a professor in the Political Science and International Relations division at the University of Canterbury.

Mitchell, is a specialist on national and international ocean and resource governance. He is a former government official with over 30 years’ experience in oceans governance and maritime interests. He worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, leading on international oceans governance and the Cook Islands obligations to UN treaties and conventions. Mitchell is the former director of offshore fisheries division with the Ministry of Marine.