The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, the Honourable Mark Brown, is attending the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) this week in Nice, France, affirming the country’s leadership in ocean governance, innovation, and regional cooperation.
The Cook Islands delegation includes senior officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) and the National Environment Service (NES). Together they represent Cook Islands priorities across ocean finance, marine protection, science and policy development, and treaty engagement.
“As a large ocean state and a proud Pacific nation, the Cook Islands comes to UNOC with solutions grounded in our values: partnership, protection, and progress. This is about securing our ocean future and leading with purpose,” said Prime Minister Brown.
The Prime Minister’s participation at UNOC3 is made possible with support from the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), funded by the Government of Australia. A demonstration of strong regional partnerships and shared priorities for Pacific ocean leadership.
Key moments for the Cook Islands at UNOC3 include:
- The formal announcement of Ra’ui To’ora, a Dynamic Ocean Protection Zone for whales, a Pacific-led innovation drawing on traditional ra’ui conservation practice and marine science.
- Announcement of the Cook Islands’ commitment to undertake a feasibility study into the establishment of the Institute of Blue Ocean Sustainability and Science (IBOSS), a proposed initiative to strengthen ocean science, climate resilience, and sustainable blue economy development across the Pacific.
The delegation’s presence reflects whole-of-government collaboration and builds on the Cook Islands’ longstanding leadership across ocean platforms, including the Marae Moana Act and regional treaty negotiations.
Our engagements at UNOC follow the Cook Island’s participation in the first and second UN Ocean Conferences and reinforce a consistent Cook Islands message: the future of ocean governance must be Pacific-led, equity-driven, and grounded in Indigenous knowledge, science, and cooperation.
