Cook Islands, a key advocate of the Treaty of Rarotonga since its inception, commended the Marshall Islands’ decision to sign, highlighting their shared commitment to a nuclear-free Pacific.

On March 3, 2025, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) took a historic step by signing the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (also known as the Treaty of Rarotonga).

The signing took place following the keynote address delivery by President Hilda C. Heine at the 37^th Memorial Anniversary of Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day in Majuro.

The Treaty of Rarotonga first opened for signature during the 1985 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting hosted by the Cook Islands and entered into force in 1986.

Over the last four decades, the Treaty has served as a critical framework for maintaining peace and stability in the Pacific region. It prohibits the testing, manufacturing, and stationing of nuclear weapons in the region, reinforcing the Pacific’s leadership in advocating for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The treaty also bans the dumping of radioactive waste at sea within the Treaty zone.

RMI’s signing of the Treaty builds on the outcomes of the 52^nd PIF Leaders Meeting hosted by the Cook Islands in 2023, which saw Leaders promoting full compliance by Parties to the provisions of the Treaty and progress to operationalise the Treaty. Leaders also invited non-party forum members to accede to the Treaty, urging the United States to ratify Treaty protocols as soon as possible.

In welcoming RMI’s signing, Cook Islands Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Tepaeru Herrmann, reflected on discussions between Prime Minister Mark Brown and President Heine, during the 2024 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting held in Tonga in August, where both Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation on nuclear issues.

“The Cook Islands have long stood in solidarity with the Marshall Islands and their ongoing struggles for justice, accountability and redress as relate to the long-lasting health, environmental and cultural impacts of nuclear testing on the people of the Marshall Islands from the United States Weapons Testing Program,” said Secretary Herrmann. “The Cook Islands government warmly commend President Heine for her leadership and her government’s decision to join the Treaty of Rarotonga, a step that strengthens our region’s resolve and collective commitment to ensuring a nuclear free Pacific, to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”

Herrmann further reiterated the Cook Islands’ support for the full operationalisation of the Treaty, and encouraged non-party forum members to accede the treaty to further advance its objectives:

“As we work together to safeguard the security and stability of our Blue Pacific, the Cook Islands encourages all remaining non-party Forum members to reflect on the importance of this Treaty amidst the turbulence we are seeing and experiencing in different parts elsewhere in the world. A strengthened and unified commitment to a nuclear-free Pacific is essential to protecting our people, our environment, and our future generations, and we look forward to deeper collaboration with all state parties in this regard. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat must remain steadfast in leading the Treaty’s full operationalisation, ensuring the treaty protocols are upheld for enduring peace and security across our region.”

The Rarotonga Treaty remains open for signature and continues to be a vital element in the collective efforts of Pacific nations to protect the well-being of Pacific peoples and the environment for future generations.

Upon ratification, the Marshall Islands will join Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as State Parties to the Rarotonga Treaty.

• MFAI