Welcome
Ko toku papa tupuna
Kua ‘akamou’ia ki runga ite pito enua
Ko taku korero taito, kua ‘akairo ia ki runga i te va’anga rakau
Kia to’ito’i ia ki runga ite poaki maori,
E rau te tuatau
Kua kite oki au i toku turanga, e enua toku, e Avaiki toku
Iekoko
E taku iti e
Loloma mai e te Ulu o te Watu
Nau mai te Fuinga O Niva
Tau mai e Tapuahua
Soko mai Tongareva
Aria mai Nukuroa o Tane
Ano mai Akatoka Manava
Kake mai Enua Manu
Tangi ke, tangi ke
Kua matau ua tatou
E Mangaia Enua.
Te akaieie, e ‘Ara’ura Enua
Turou oro mai,
e Tumutevarovaro
Good day sirs and good day madams of Palmerston Island
Introduction
Kia orana tatou katoatoa I te aroa nui o te Atua
On this historic occasion, I extend my warmest greetings and acknowledgements:
To Her Excellency the Governor-General of Aotearoa New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro, and Dr Richard Davies: Te kite nei au iakoe e te Kauono o te Ariki Tane o Paratane, te Kavana ngateitei o Aotearoa Honorable Dame Cindy Kiro, korua ko taou akaperepere te Taote Richard Davies. Korua tei ariki mai ite patianga kia piri mai tatou no teia akaepaepa’anga o to tatou basileia. Te pumaana nei te ngakau I to tatou aravei’anga. No reira tena koe.
To His Excellency the King’s Representative, Sir Tom Marsters, and Lady Marsters: Te upoko o to tatou basileia te Kuki Airani, Sir Tom and Lady Marsters e to korua katoa, kia orana rava ite aroa maata ote Atua.
To our Ui Ariki and traditional leaders: Te Kaumaiti Nui e te Kaumaiti iti ote are ariki, Tou Travel Ariki e Tou Vaine, Mama Tinomana Ariki o te Vaka Puaikura. Te Ariki o teia paepae, te nga Ariki o Teauotonga – Makea, Karika e Vakatini, Pa ma Kainuku o te Vaka Takitumu. Te Ui Ariki I runga I totatou pa enua tatakitai – to kotou au matakeinanga, tei mou ite taonga o te enua -te ui mataiapo, te ui Rangatira, ui kavana. Kia Orana rava ite aroa maata ote Atua.
The church: Te tama Ua tei akaperepere ia ete Ui Ariki. Te au pare evangeria tuketuke tei tupu ki roto i to tatou basileia, te au tavini ote Atua, Kia orana.
Cabinet, MPs: Te au minita ote Korona, te au mema paramani te tua ote kavamani e pera katoa te tua akatanotano, to tatou kavamani enua tei tae mai ki Rarotonga, Kia Orana
VIPs and Dip Corp: May I make a special welcome to the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum the Hon Aisake Eke – the Prime Minister of Tonga – malo e lelei. The Prime Minister of Tuvalu our friend the Hon Feleti Teo. It is the transport ships from these two countries that helped us bring our people from the Northern Group islands to help us celebrate this major milestone. A big thank you to our brothers who answered our call. And a big thank you for the change in schedule to allow our people to spend a few more days here on Rarotonga before the journey back home. I know the ships brought fish, uto and Paua when they arrived. But it will be going back with Flatscreen TVs and all the discount shopping from the businesses here.
May I also extend a special welcome to our two closest neighbours, our brother Hon Dalton Tagelagi the Prime Minister of Niue Fakalofalahi atu.
And also our closest neighbour to the east, His Excellency Moetai Brotherson the President of French Polynesia. Te faatae atu nei au i to’u tapa’o aroha ia outou e i to tatou mau utuafare no Tahiti mai.
A special welcome to our friends from the Federated States of Micronesia – Vice President the Hon Aren Palik – kaselehlie.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to our two resident High Commissioners, HE Catherine Graham representing the government of New Zealand and also HE Susanna Hodson representing the government of Australia. Welcome to the celebration.
A special welcome to the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum HE Baron Waqa representing our forum family. Ekamowir omo – Turou oromai.
May I also now extend a very warm welcome to the 37 countries, our diplomatic partners who have accepted our invitation to join us in celebration and are represented here by Ministers, Ambassadors and Special Envoys. Its is wonderful to see our friends from the USA, from Canada, from France, Kuwait, Italy, Turkey, from Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Cuba, Ireland, the EU, South Africa, Chile and many, many more. Turou oro mai. Welcome.
Allow me to make a special welcome – ki to tatou iti tangata whenua o Aotearoa tei piri mai ki teia akaepaepa’anga. Mei te au mema Paramani o Aotearoa tei rotopu ia tatou, te tautura vaa tuatua, ta tatou tamaiti ko Teanau, te au pupu ote kapa haka no roto mai te au hapu e te iwi, te waka tangata:
- Ngāpuhi
- Ngāti Porou
- Waikato Tainui
- Ngāti Kahungunu
- Ngāi Tahu
- Te Arawa
- Ngāti Tūwharetoa
- Ngāi Tūhoe
- Ngāti Maniapoto
Oro mai e taku whare teina, oro mai
takai mai ki te oneone o toou paepae,
Taka’I koe I te papa enua
‘Akamou ite pito enua
A’u ite marae kia tapu
I tere ei toou rangi
Teia te whare tuakana te tuorooro nei iakoe
Teia te Ui ariki o to kotou waka tupuna
Teia te tiaki o to tatou fenua
Teia te tumu ote enua
No reira neke mai ki te tumu ote enua
E tumu oki au no te enua – kare au e neke atu
Neke mai e taku toto, nau mai e taku ivi Maori
Mou mai toou papa tupuna
E Turanga to tatou, e enua to tatou, e moana to tatou, e avaiki to tatou
Aiekoko
Today we stand together as a nation, not just to remember a moment in time, but to honour a legacy.
Sixty years ago, our people made a bold and deliberate choice, to govern ourselves. To take responsibility for our future. To stand tall among the nations of the world, proud of who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.
This year, we mark that journey under the theme:
Kua kite au i toku turanga, e Avaiki toku. I know who I am, I have a homeland.
These are not just words. They are a declaration of identity. A reflection of belonging. A reminder that wherever we stand in Rarotonga, in Manihiki, in Auckland or Sydney, we carry with us a deep connection to our enua, to our people, and to our purpose.
We celebrate not just our achievements, but our identity, an identity rooted in culture, shaped by history, and carried forward in our journey to statehood.
Culture is our compass
Central to our journey to statehood has been the compass at the centre of our navigation – our culture. Our Peu Maori.
Te peu Māori is a living system of knowledge, values, and identity. It shapes how we lead. It strengthens how we relate to one another. And it is the foundation for how we build our nation.
Te Peu Māori – Our Way – has been tested by time. It has withstood the pressures of change, colonisation, migration, and modernisation. And yet it remains solid, the foundation upon which our culture has been built, and continues to grow. It is a system both ancient and adaptive, resilient and responsive. It is from this foundation that we draw strength as a people.
Our identity is alive in every aspect of how we learn, how we serve, and how we carry ourselves in the world.
Events like Te Maeva Nui are vibrant expressions of our spirit, our unity, and our strength as a people. They connect generations. They revitalise our reo. They reflect the mana of our people and the legacy of our ancestors.
When we speak of resilience and navigation, we are also speaking of culture. Because it is culture that gives us grounding in times of change. It is culture that holds us steady when the path ahead is uncertain. And it is culture that gives us confidence to shape our future with clarity and care.
This is why we continue to invest in the preservation of our heritage, and the transmission of our cultural knowledge. From our schools to our churches, from community associations to digital platforms, we are supporting the intergenerational transfer of language, story, and skill.
We also recognise that culture evolves. We have witnessed this week the innovation, the creativity, the passion of our young composers and choreographers, layered upon the creativity of our well established taunga in our peu Maori. The learning of one generation being passed to the next and remoulded again to something new, vibrant and alive. A living breathing culture side by side with our traditional knowledge holders, they are creating new forms of ancestral wisdom. They are showing the world that the Cook Islands is not only preserving our heritage, but creating futures from it.
Culture moves with us. It grounds our progress and shapes our path ahead.
It is the compass that guides our development and the anchor that holds our people together.
For me as Prime Minister, culture has been a guidepost and a grounding force. My leadership has been shaped by the values passed down through our elders – values of service, humility, and collective strength. Embracing my reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani has deepened my sense of connection to our people and sharpened my understanding of what it means to lead with integrity and identity.
We as Cook Islanders must always reflect who we are as a people. We are taught to know where we come from, in order to know where we are going. This wisdom reminds us that our past is not a place we leave behind – it is the foundation we stand on. Our future is strongest when it is holds fast to the strength of our identity.
Diaspora and unity
Providing the wind in our sails, are the contributions of our Cook Islands population here at home and abroad.
Over the past six decades, the Cook Islands population has expanded across oceans. Our presence is no longer limited by geography. It is defined by connection.
In keeping with the voyaging history of our ancestors, our people have built lives not only across our 15 islands, but also across Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, the wider Pacific, and the world. That spirit of discovery lives on in us today and is evidenced in our character as a large ocean state, a global nation of one people, many homes.
This is a source of strength. Our people have extended the reach of our nation across generations and borders, and they have created new opportunities, built strong communities, and carried our values into every corner of the region.
I have said this before, and I say it again today. When Cook Islanders pursue opportunities abroad, we expand our borders. We may live across continents, but we are not scattered. We are connected. By papa’anga, by aro’a, and by a deep enduring bond to our Ipukarea, our land.
And again we witnessed this week an emotional example of this by our diaspora performing beautifully, vibrantly for their islands. When the island made a call, aere mai e taku iti, our people came and they stood proud for their island and their vaka. What a proud moment for all of us.
Wherever we stand, our sense of place, our turanga remains anchored here in the Cook Islands. We continue to uphold our cultural responsibilities, invest in our communities, and teach our children the language, stories, and identity of our homeland.
To our Cook Islands communities across the ocean, watching this celebration from afar, you continue to shape our journey. Your voice, your values, and your contribution strengthen our nation every day.
As we mark 60 years of self-governance, let this also be a moment of moment of homecoming, a chance to reconnect with family, with our land with our ocean. Let us honour the contributions of our diaspora. Let us strengthen the ties between our islands and our global community. And let us continue to walk forward with unity, wherever we may stand.
Because kua kite tatou i to tatou turanga, we know our place.
And e Avaiki toku, we all have a homeland.
Our voyage to statehood
As any good navigator will attest, to be able to look forward, we must know where we have come from.
On the 4 August 1965, against a backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and a related Resolution on self-determination, the Cook Islands, with New Zealand’s support, chose self-governance in free association with Aotearoa New Zealand.
Free association allows for the Cook Islands to maintain New Zealand citizenship, whilst at the same time making our own laws and administering our own domestic and foreign affairs.
In 1965, the Cook Islands embarked on a path of self-governance, embracing the responsibility to chart our own destiny.
The governance model we chose was shaped by our faith, our culture and our community. From the beginning, we have chartered our development path with care, conviction, and a commitment to doing what is right for our people.
In 1965, we were a nation defined by 15 islands with a total land surface-area of just 250 square kilometres. Today, the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone spans nearly 2 million square kilometres of ocean – a surface-area of comparable size to the landmasses of Mexico or Saudi Arabia.
The Cook Islands modern identity is no longer defined by the projections of large powers that characterise us as “small” – we are a large ocean state growing in influence, underpinned by the work of generations of Cook Islanders both within our Pacific region and beyond.
Over these six decades, we’ve achieved milestones that affirm and reaffirm, our identity and our agency. From formally establishing our maritime boundaries and the establishment of our Marae Moana, to the development of our economy to the extent that we graduated to high-income status in 2020, to the diversification efforts through a greater understanding of our seabed mineral resources, through to our increasing profile and engagement on the international stage, our voyage to statehood reflects our agency, resilience, and vision.
We acknowledge the pioneers who laid the foundations and the collective efforts that have brought us to where we are today.
Our relationship with Aotearoa New Zealand
In reflecting on where we’ve come from, we must also acknowledge those who have been alongside us, in our vaka, on this journey.
In 1965, we chose self-governance in free association with Aotearoa New Zealand. This choice was grounded in our shared papa’anga or ancestral ties, our shared values, and our vision for self-determination.
History shows that our ancestors possessed the vision and excellence required to settle Te Moana Nui o Kiva, grounded always in a pragmatic approach to both navigation and governance.
This pragmatism, defined by the practical weighing up of choices against projected outcomes can be seen in the choice made by our tupuna to take the first step in our journey to statehood, based on the economic and social realities of Cook Islands society in 1965.
Over time, our desire to pursue our own policies and interests have been reflected in our growing participation on the international stage, as well as through the evolution of conventions that give effect to our modern bilateral relationship with Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Joint Centenary Declaration is one such convention between the Cook Islands and Aotearoa New Zealand, signed in 2001 and reaffirmed in 2015, codifying the principles of our unique relationship, characterized by free association.
These principles were further enhanced through the Waka Hourua / Vaka Purua Statement of Partnership, signed by the Cook Islands and Aotearoa New Zealand in October 2022, whereby we jointly reaffirmed the shared values and principles underpinning our relationship.
Over the past six decades, this relationship has delivered mutual benefits not only between Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands, but also for our Realm of New Zealand.
Cook Islanders have long migrated to Aotearoa New Zealand in search of employment and other opportunities. Since the first waves of migration from the Pacific to support Aotearoa’s primary industries in the 1950’s, Cook Islanders have shown resilience and hard work, often at the forefront of Aotearoa New Zealand’s economic and social development.
Today, the Cook Islands diaspora is a vital part of Aotearoa’s diverse society, with over 80,000 Cook Islanders calling Aotearoa New Zealand home. This community has made significant contributions to key sectors including healthcare, education, business, sports, and the arts, driving positive change and growth in the country. Many have also excelled in leadership roles, becoming trailblazers in both the public and private sectors.
The mutual benefit derived from trade and tourism between our two countries is undeniable. New Zealand tourists number over 113,000 arrivals a year and pump $270M into our economy. In turn a vibrant Cook Islands economy is good business for NZ where the Cook Islands purchases goods and services to the tune of an average $200M a year from New Zealand business. In our public sector, direct agency to agency cooperation and development funding for key infrastructure projects underpins our national prosperity, security and resilience goals.
The value of our relationship with New Zealand cannot be overstated and I would like to emphasise that there is not now, nor has there ever been, a strategic shift by the Cook Islands Government or our peoples to reject the value and responsibilities of our relationship of free-association with New Zealand. This is a relationship freely entered into, and freely maintained, and one that we remain committed to.
Today, I am honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Governor-General of Aotearoa New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro, and His Excellency Dr Richard Davies. Your presence here on this 60th anniversary of self-governance is a powerful reminder of the enduring ties between our peoples and our shared Sovereign.
Indeed, as you have mentioned our contributions to the peace and security of our Realm of New Zealand are also worthy of mentioning. History shows that though we were one of the smallest territories in the British Empire at the time, more than 500 Cook Islands men volunteered during World War I, a remarkable commitment from a nation far removed from the actual conflict. Our men served not for reward, but for duty. That spirit of contribution and shared sacrifice defines the ANZAC legacy across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, and it continues to shape our values as a nation. Our men stood alongside their brothers in arms in foreign fields, and today, we continue to stand together as partners committed to peace, democracy, and regional strength.
Like any relationship that has been in existence for six decades, there are moments that call for reflection. There are times when we must pause and consider whether the conventions and evolved understandings between our freely associated states remain aligned.
We find ourselves in such a moment, during the 60th year of the Cook Islands self-governance in free association with New Zealand. I see our relationship as one grounded in enduring kinship – like members of a family who continue to care deeply for one another, even as each has grown and charted their own path. Maturity shouldn’t change our bond; it should strengthen the abiding care and commitment we hold for each other’s wellbeing.
We approach these conversations with care and confidence, and we do so as a self-governing nation, proud of our identity, and fully aware of our responsibilities.
Most importantly, we do so with our people at the centre. Their wellbeing, their voice, and their future guide every step we take.
Ours is a living relationship. It must continue to evolve as our people evolve, as our nation grows, and as the world always changes around us.
We value this relationship deeply. And we will continue to invest in it with honesty, respect, and purpose. In this 60th year of self-governance, I call on all our officials to keep our values at heart, to continue to engage with grace and dignity, and to ensure that we strengthen our relationship with a view towards the next 60 years of voyaging in our shared vaka.
A Pacific nation with a global voice
As we turn our focus towards the horizon, we must do so with clear eyes and clear hearts, acknowledging the importance of diverse international partnerships for our journey ahead particularly with regard to our graduation from ODA eligibility in 2020.
This year, we find ourselves navigating increasingly complex development needs within a landscape of rapidly shifting geopolitics.
Over the past 60 years, the Cook Islands has joined a wide number of regional and international organisations in order to promote and protect our interests. Today, we are a member of most Pacific regional organisations and enjoy full membership of the FAO, ICAO, UNESCO, WHO and other UN specialised agencies.
The United Nations recognised the full treaty-making capacity of the Cook Islands in 1992 and the Cook Islands today is party in its own right to well over a hundred multilateral disarmament, environmental, fisheries, human rights and other internationally binding treaties.
Alongside our growing multilateral and regional engagement, our bilateral engagement has also grown. Since 1965, we have established formal diplomatic relations with over 70 States And many of them are in this room today not only in the Pacific but also in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. And we are active participants in shaping the future of our Blue Pacific Continent.
The Cook Islands—often with the support of Aotearoa New Zealand—has over the decades taken steps at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels to better enable us to achieve our national goals and objectives.
But there is always more to do, and our evolving national priorities require innovative thought leadership and a proactive foreign service focused on the pursuit of partnerships that support our national development agenda.
As a large ocean state, we are a Pacific nation with a global voice. And we will use that voice to lead with purpose.
From our earliest days of self-governance, under Premier Albert Henry, we have stood with our region. We have contributed to peace, advanced multilateral cooperation, and advocated for the rights and needs of Pacific peoples.
Since 1965, we have exercised our international voice with clarity and courage. We were one of 7 founding members of the Pacific Islands Forum. We have joined global institutions. We have negotiated maritime boundaries. We have championed nuclear disarmament and ocean protection. The Treaty of Rarotonga, signed right here in our capital, is a lasting testament to our values and our vision for a peaceful Pacific.
Our foreign policy is grounded in principle. We engage with the world based on mutual respect and shared responsibility. Our international agreements are aligned with our Constitution, our laws, and our development goals.
Our voice matters. Not because of our population size, but because of what we represent. A nation that holds fast to its identity while engaging with the world on its own terms.
This is what it means to be a Pacific nation with a global voice. We don’t need to speak the loudest. We speak with purpose. And increasingly the world listens.
Our economic transformation
The story of our development journey isn’t complete without reflecting on the ama that has held our vaka steady over the past six decades – our economy.
In the early years of our development, we laid the groundwork with what limited resources were available to us at the time – investing in essential services like roads, schools, and healthcare, whilst also leaning on the generous support of our development partners.
As challenges arose, particularly during the mid-1990’s, we responded with courage and reform, adapting and strengthening our public financial management systems and ensuring every dollar was used wisely.
Though challenging, these were important lessons that helped to ensure the Cook Islands have some of the most robust and transparent systems and processes for high-level governance, oversight and implementation of activities with development partners in the entire region.
Adapting from the harsh but necessary reforms of the 1990’s, we now have demonstrable technical expertise and are regional leaders in sustainable tourism management, seabed minerals, fisheries, customs, immigration, public financial management and gender equity, to name but a few of our strengths. This week Standard and Poors, the Global credit rating agency advised me that our country credit rating outlook has moved from stable to positive, and there is potential to be upgraded in the near future from the current B+. This is a great external validation of the work done to rebuild our public finances following the tough times seen over COVID.
For decades, the tourism sector has been the backbone of our economy. It has created jobs, supported families, and brought opportunity to our shores.
When COVID-19 brought global travel to a standstill, the impact on our people was profound. Yet, we stood together. We acted swiftly and responsibly. And because of that, we kept our economy moving, supported our people, and laid the groundwork for recovery.
Now, we stand at a new turning point.
Our economy is not just recovering, it is transforming.
Thanks to disciplined fiscal management, we have returned to surplus. Debt levels are sustainable. We are investing in infrastructure, education, and digital connectivity. We are building a Sovereign Wealth Fund to safeguard the future of our people and protect against future shocks.
Tourism remains vital. But we are not standing still. We are broadening our economic base, responsibly exploring our ocean economy, strengthening our financial services, and opening new avenues for growth beyond our traditional markets.
This is what resilience looks like. Not just surviving hardship, but emerging stronger. Choosing reform over retreat. Choosing long-term value over short-term comfort.
None of this progress has come easily. And none of it has come by chance.
It has come through careful decisions. Through investment in our people. Through confidence in our decision-making. Through a vision that is clear: to build a Cook Islands economy that is future-ready, fair, and firmly grounded in our values.
As we mark 60 years of self-governance, we honour those who paved the way for this moment. And we look forward, with belief in our young people, in our institutions, and in the capacity of this nation to chart its own course.
A special message
Please allow me now to take a moment to break from tradition.
As we celebrate the 60th birthday of our nation, I wish also to honour the 80th birthday of our esteemed King’s Representative in the Cook Islands, Sir Tom Marsters. For the past decade Sir Tom has shared his birthday with our country by attending to his duty on Constitution Day. He has put our country’s interest ahead of his own.
Reflecting on Sir Tom’s service as the King’s Representative in the Cook Islands since 2013, as well as his distinguished public service career which has spanned decades, Sir Tom has demonstrated the best of our Cook Islands values. Values of service, leadership and duty.
Ladies and gentleman e te iti tangata, it is my great honour to announce that I’ve received confirmation from His Majesty, King Charles towards the reappointment of Sir Tom as the King’s Representative in the Cook Islands, for a further 3-year term.
Sir Tom, the breadth and depth of your public service, your wisdom, dignity and grace have been an inspiration to us all. May this year, and all your years to come, be filled with health, happiness, and continued blessings.
I invite us all now to be upstanding, to sing happy birthday to our most distinguished statesman, Sir Tom Marsters.
Our journey ahead, the next 60 years
Today, we have honoured our past. We have acknowledged our journey. And now, we navigate our vaka towards the horizon.
The next 60 years of the Cook Islands story will be written by a new generation, a generation that is digitally fluent, globally aware, and firmly grounded in their identity.
We have laid the foundation. A resilient economy with eyes on diversification. A culture that is vibrant, evolving, and central to our development. A people who are united across oceans, confident in who they are and where they belong.
Now is the time to build on that foundation with clarity and purpose.
Our young people are not waiting to be told who they are. They already know. They are leading movements, building businesses, protecting our reo, and shaping their future with creativity and courage. Our role is to support them. To make space for their voice. And to ensure they inherit a country that is strong, sustainable, and grounded in aro’a.
On confirming our choice of self-governance in free-association with New Zealand in 1965, our forebear Papa Arapati said “Let us begin”. Today I say, “Let us go forward”.
Let us continue to strengthen our partnerships with Aotearoa New Zealand, with our region, and with the world, in a way that reflects who we are and where we are heading. Partnerships built on respect. On mutual interests. And on shared vision.
Let us keep investing in our people, in our infrastructure, and in our islands from te Pa Enua Tokerau e te Pa Enua Tonga, because every one of our communities’ matters, and every island holds a piece of our future.
Let us stand with conviction on the global stage.
Our people span oceans. Our voice carries across borders. And our contribution continues to grow.
And let us keep walking forward as one nation. A nation that knows its place. A nation that has a homeland. A nation that carries with it the hopes of those who came before us and the dreams of those yet to come.
Kua kite au i toku turanga.
E Avaiki toku.
May we carry this truth with us as we voyage into the next 60 years and beyond.
Kia orana e kia manuia.
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