The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) confirms that a delegation from the United States Government is undertaking a humanitarian assistance scoping visit to the Cook Islands from Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April 2026.
The visit is focused on assessing the feasibility of potential projects supported through the U.S. Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) programme, with a particular emphasis on disaster preparedness, communications resilience, water security, and civic infrastructure.
The visiting delegation includes representatives from the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Asia-Pacific Office and the US Embassy and Consulate based in New Zealand. The delegation is meeting with a range of Cook Islands Government agencies during their visit, including OPM’s Emergency Management, Climate Change, ICT and Pa Enua Governance Divisions, alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Infrastructure Cook Islands, the Cook Islands Meteorological Service, the National Environment Service, the Ministry of Health, Cook Islands Police, Seabed Minerals Authority and the Cook Islands Ports Authority.
In addition to agency engagements, the delegation is conducting site visits to water storage and communications infrastructure, the National Emergency Operations Centre, Avatiu Port, and meeting with the Cook Islands Red Cross Society and To Tatou Vai.
OPM Chief of Staff Karopaerangi Ngatoko said the visit reflects the strength of the Cook Islands’ relationship with the United States and the shared commitment to building resilience across the Pacific.
“The Cook Islands faces real and pressing challenges in terms of disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience. This scoping visit is an important step in exploring how U.S. humanitarian assistance can complement our national priorities and support our communities, particularly in the outer islands where vulnerabilities are greatest.”
Cook Islands infrastructure and disaster resilience priorities are articulated in the National Infrastructure Investment Plan (NIIP), the National Sustainable Development Agenda 2020+, the Economic Development Strategy, and the Cook Islands Disaster Risk Management Act and Policy. Any OHDACA-supported projects would be expected to align with these frameworks.
The scoping visit builds on growing engagement between the Cook Islands and the United States over recent months, with the collaborative cross-agency approach to the visit also aligning with OPM’s system leadership role, as both a central agency and the agency responsible for national emergency management.
Chief of Staff Ngatoko added that the Cook Islands values the practical focus of the engagement.
“Our critical infrastructure which includes our ports, airports, energy, water, and telecommunications, underpins our economic security and the wellbeing of every Cook Islander. We welcome the interest of our U.S. partners in working alongside us on projects that will make a tangible difference to our resilience and our people.”
The Office of the Prime Minister will provide further updates as consultations progress and project feasibility assessments are completed.
