The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hon. Mark Brown, has attended the inaugural Realm Leaders’ Meeting at Government House in Auckland, held on Friday 28 August 2026 (NZT) en route to the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau. It was the first occasion on which the leaders of all four countries of the Realm of New Zealand have sat down together in this format.
The meeting brought together Prime Minister Brown, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, the Prime Minister of Niue, Hon Dalton Tagelagi, and the Ulu-o-Tokelau, Hon Alapati Tavite. It was co-chaired by Prime Minister Luxon and Prime Minister Tagelagi.
“This is a rare and valuable gathering,” Prime Minister Brown said. “The Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue and Tokelau each carry a distinct constitutional history, and each of our relationships with New Zealand has followed its own path. What we share is a partnership freely entered into and freely maintained, built on decades of trust, of family, and of respect for one another’s right to determine our own course.”
In a Joint Statement issued following the meeting, Leaders affirmed that the strong and enduring constitutional relationships New Zealand holds with the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau are supported by the closeness of their peoples, societies and economies, and by the deep connections between their diaspora communities. They reaffirmed that Realm partners are connected by shared history, constitutional links and common values, and are ideally placed to support one another and amplify their collective voices on the opportunities and challenges facing the Pacific while respecting the distinct identity and aspirations of each partner.
Leaders discussed their priorities for the Realm and the wider region, and exchanged views ahead of the Forum in Palau, including on education, security and defence, and fuel security and preparedness across the Realm. Prime Minister Brown said the meeting came at a time when the pressures facing the region are widely shared.
“Our people are feeling the cost of living, the cost of fuel and the cost of freight. The value of a meeting like this is that it allows us to discuss the different approaches we’re taking to these challenges, and to identify where our common interests align and where we can be mutually supportive of our respective priorities.”
On security, Leaders acknowledged the interconnected security interests of members of the Realm and their respective responsibilities to one another in an increasingly contested strategic environment. They recalled the Political Declaration between Niue and New Zealand signed in November 2025, and the Cook Islands and New Zealand Declaration on Defence and Security signed in Rarotonga in April 2026. Prime Minister Brown reaffirmed the arrangements the Cook Islands agreed with New Zealand earlier this year.
“New Zealand is, and remains, the Cook Islands’ primary partner in defence and security. The Declaration on Defence and Security we signed in Rarotonga in April gives that partnership practical shape early and open consultation, and a clear understanding of the responsibilities each of us carries. It was reached through patient dialogue rather than confrontation, and that is precisely how we intend to carry it forward.”
The Cook Islands has been self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 4 August 1965, with its own Constitution, Parliament, Cabinet, courts and King’s Representative. The relationship rests on the Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964 and is articulated in the 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration, which describes the two countries as equal states, independent in the conduct of their own affairs, and committed to consulting one another closely as partners.
Leaders welcomed the opportunity presented by New Zealand’s hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in 2027, and committed to strengthening Realm partnerships to support economic opportunity, cultural connections, resilience, security, and the wellbeing of future generations. They also acknowledged the centenary of the relationship between New Zealand and Tokelau. Prime Minister Brown said he hoped the Auckland meeting would be the first of many.
“A standing conversation among Realm leaders would allow us to take up shared interests as they arise, rather than only when difficulties require it. That is the mark of a mature partnership.”
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Ms Elizabeth Wright-Koteka, and the High Commissioner of the Cook Islands to New Zealand, Ms Kairangi Samuela. Following the Realm Leaders’ Meeting, the Prime Minister travels on to Koror, Palau, to attend the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
