• Category: Development Coordination

MFEM Gender Policy

The Cook Islands National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and Strategic Plan of Action, recognises that women and men are equal partners to the development of the Cook Islands, and places gender equality at the heart of economic and social progress, giving equal value to the roles and responsibilities of Cook Islands women and men. It also recognises that in order to redress gender it is necessary to create the conditions for women’s empowerment while women and men work together to address attitudinal and institutional barriers to gender equality.
The operating principles underpinning the National Policy are that:
 Women and men are equal partners in the development of the Cook Islands and gender equality is at the heart of economic and social progress, and equal value needs to be given to the roles and responsibilities of the country’s women and men.
 Women’s empowerment will help achieve the national objective of ensuring the benefits of development are shared equally throughout the islands and the population, in order to ensure real improvement in their standard of living.
 The realisation of women’s human rights is the basic guiding principle for the National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
 Gender equality is a right and customary practices are subject to the principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution of the country.
 The principle of equality is guiding the adoption of affirmative actions for compensating for historical and social disadvantages women undergone which have deprive them of equal opportunities.
 Identified priority outcomes are linked to the national priorities in the revised National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP).
 While Government policy priorities may change, the priority outcomes identified in this Policy will remain valid.
 Women economic empowerment is critical for achieving the social and economic development goal of the country.
 Policy makers and managers need to develop their capacity to mainstream gender and address women human rights issues into their field of intervention and sector.
 Strong partnerships and coordination mechanisms need to be in place between the national women machinery – the Gender and Development Division (DAD) housed under the Ministry of Internal Affairs – and other line and sectoral ministries and with outer islands governance mechanisms.

The aim of the National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is to guide the Cook Islands Government in implementing and monitoring its commitments to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Policy is also a tool for dialogue with and between different sectors and agencies to achieve the following objectives:
1. Define agreed priorities for empowering women and achieving gender equality;
2. Create an enabling environment for translating Government commitment to gender equality into reality;
3. Align national plans and implement Government’s international and regional commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment; and
4. Define a mechanism for monitoring and reporting on the progress in line with the Cook Islands commitment to regional and international state obligations.

Please refer to the full Gender Policy Document here

• Category: Development Coordination

MFEM ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS FRAMEWORK

The Government of the Cook Islands Environmental Social Safeguards Framework sets out the Government’s commitment to sustainable development. Through this Environmental Social Safeguards Framework, Government will enhance the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) for all projects planned and implemented in the Cook Islands. It is also aligned to the international conventions that the Cook Islands has signed, ratified and has committed to, under the umbrella of the following United Nations bodies: World Health Organization (WHO), International Labour Organization (ILO), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC), United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. The nine Environmental Social Safeguard Standards (ESSS) establish the standards that a project will meet through the project life cycle and are as follows:

ESSS 1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
ESSS2: Labour and Working Conditions
ESSS3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
ESSS4: Community Health, Safety and Security
ESSS5: Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement
ESSS6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources
ESSS7: Indigenous People and Traditional Local Communities
ESSS8: Cultural Heritage
ESSS9: Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure

Please refer to the full Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework document here

• Category: Development Coordination

• Category: Development Coordination

Previous UNDP Assessment

Capacity Assessment - March 2014

Final Inception and Analysis Report - May 2014 (2MB)

• Category: Development Coordination

• Category: Development Coordination

                       Cyclone Pat

On the 9th of February 2010, Cyclone Pat rate a category 3 cyclone swept over the island of Aitutaki wreaking havoc and destroying homes. In the days following Cyclone Pat's destructive visit recovery and assistance efforts were put into effect. On this page you will find the various reports associated with these efforts.

• Category: Development Coordination

Kia Orana

In typical Cook Islands style we would like to say a big Meitaki Maata for your participation and involvement in the Development Partners Meeting 2014. 

What a great time of dialogue and discussion together on Cook Island priorities, culture and programs of work.

We appreciated your open feedback, support and willingness to be involved at a “grassroots” and community level.  I am sure, like us, you have many fond memories of performances,speeches,

gift giving and special moments of generous Cook Islands hospitality.

We have updated our website to include photo’s, press releases and outcome presentations from our sessions together. You will find these using the links below.

 Your feedback is very valuable to us and we would like you to please take the time to fill out our feedback form here to provide your insights on what was important to you and what we may need to

improve/change for next year.

We discussed DCD’s review of the ODA Policy & Implementation Plan and would like to specifically invite your further views on items we have flagged for possible changes which may affect our

development partners.  You can provide your organisations feedback by accessing the following ODA feedback form here.  We would appreciate your feedback by the end of March 2014. 

Once again, we appreciate your continued partnership with the Cook Islands and look forward to continued interaction with you over the year.

Kia Manuia

Peter Tierney

Manager, Development Coordination Division

Please send all completed feedback forms to the following email address: tamara.file@cookislands.gov.ck 

Press releases!   Development Partners meeting Photos - Rarotonga.   Development Partners Meeting Photos - Atiu.   Development Partners meeting Presentations        

• Category: Development Coordination

The Cook Islands Government has submitted its application for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) to become accredited to the Adaption Fund as a National Implementing Entity (NIE). Essentially this means that MFEM, upon accreditation, would be the trusted receiver of funds directly from the Adaptation Fund for Adaptation related projects.  Currently, it is a requirement of the fund to work alongside multilateral and regional accredited partners in order to receive funds to complete accepted Adaptation projects, meaning some funds inevitably need to go offshore.  This preference for the use of local systems and resources aligns with the Cook Islands Development Partners Policy 2015 where there is a stated preference for “development support (to) be efficient and well managed using local systems and procedures and based on sustainable local capacities”.

The first submission occurred in December 2014 and was completed with the support of the Frankfurt School of Business and Management and Akairo Consulting with funding from EU-SPC-GCCA PSIS and UNEP.  There have been further submissions in March 2015 and September 2015 to address gaps raised by the Adaptation Fund Panel.  As of January 2016, MFEM has not yet gained accreditation, but is seeking Adaptation Fund “Streamlined Accreditation” which would make accreditation conditional with monetary caps and limitations on the number of projects that can occur concurrently.

For more information or an update on the NIE Accreditation process, please contact Development Coordination Division on + 682 29521

• Category: Development Coordination

• Category: Development Coordination

The Division is directed by the Cook Islands Development Partner Policy and reports to the National Sustainable Development Commission (NSDC).

The policy states that the achievement of the Cook Islands development outcomes will be supported by the effective and efficient use of Official Development Assisstance, aligned to the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP). 

The Division fosters relationships with a broad range of development partners to broker coordinated arrangements. These activities are increasingly delivered through diverse partnerships at a variety of levels including local government, civil society, private sector and national government agencies.

The Division seeks to provide high quality development advice to partners including Ministers, government agencies, committees, community groups, private interest groups and donors.

The Division hosts the country liaison office of the Asian Development Bank and contributes to the development of concessional loans and blended financing arrangements with other partners like European Investment Bank and Development Partners like the People's Republic of China.

Estimated Official Development Assisstance over the coming three years along with past spends are reported in the national budget document annually. The Division produces annual financial statements which aim to produce a complete picture of Official Development Assisstance provided to the Cook Islands and its allocation by sector and activity.