The Government Information and Communications Office, established as an Output in the Office of the Prime Minister is tasked to “take overall responsibility of all ICT programmes in the Cook Islands”  by promoting ICT developments and supporting ICT needs across the country. 

1. GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The five guiding principles or goals identified in the ICT Policy that was developed and approved by Cabinet in 2004 are as follows:

1. Quality of Life Through ICT
2. Access for all to ICT
3. Maximizing Economic Growth
4. Sustainable Development of ICT
5. Policy and Regulation of ICT

Our vision:  “Information Communication Technologies shall be used to improve the quality of life for all Cook Islanders”.

2. DEVELOPMENTS AND PRIORITIES

The Government Information and Communications Office will be committed to:

• Promoting the development of new initiatives and ICT programmes
• Supporting ongoing projects (Edunet, TeleHealth, mapserver/GeoSystem GIS, E-government project, Lands Information Systems, Life Events Database, Library system, Border Management, etc)
• Placing emphasis on investing in our people by giving them appropriate training whether they are users, technical experts, trainers or administrators.
• Pursuing with the implementation of ICT laws.

3. CONCERNS AND CHALLENGES

The Cook Islands is well aware of its given obstacles of dispersed populations, small size and vast ocean distances, absence of ICT laws and lack of ICT skilled personnel.  These circumstances impose large costs on service provision, threaten the sustainability of ICT programmes and continue to challenge national efforts to develop and grow the important sectors such as tourism, offshore banking and financial services, marine resources and agriculture.

The ICT infrastructure across Government ministries and the private sector are at different levels of development aligned with their own policies or strategies (if any).  This will make it difficult to permit for seamless flow of information across related agencies as well as planning for training to cover the various applications adopted by these agencies.

The Government Information and Communications Office will continue to identify and pursue opportunities targeted at:
o reducing barriers of distance,
o improving service delivery to the Outer Islands and overseas,
o reducing costs,
o increasing capacity for training and attachments to improve the knowledge, skills and general development of our people,
o maximizing economic growth
o protecting Cook Islands’ intellectual property rights
o promoting the development of ICT laws
o Promoting useful partnerships at all levels of society

4. MISSION

To facilitate the improvement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure development, new business initiatives and existing services