Cook Islands pitches for UNESCO seat

Transcript

The Prime Minister Henry Puna and the New Zealand Minister for Pacific Peoples Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga entered the  constitution day reception on Wellington's waterfront to a welcoming audience of diplomats, politicians, and UNESCO representatives. It's the 51st year of celebrations recognising the Cook Islands' move to become self governing in free association with New Zealand in 1965. Mr Puna says the arrangement has been called a paradox with the Cook Islands accused of having its cake and eating it too but he stresses it is not a simple relationship.

"The complexity of the Cook Islands and New Zealand relationship has generated such widespread debate and analyses over the years that academia, political science, and diplomacy have all nibbled on that cake and continued to add layer of thought to the how and why these two countries harmonies in the way that they do."

But the countries do not always see eye to eye. Last year the Cook Islands sought a United Nations membership but the New Zealand Government said that would change the constitutional relationship between the two countries including shared citizenship. But that all appears to be water under the bridge with the announcement of the Cook Islands bid for one of the nearly 60 seats on the executive board of UNESCO. Speaking on behalf of the New Zealand Government, Minister Lotu-Iiga says it is confident the Cook Islands can further UNESCO's goals and has New Zealand's support.

"We're proud certainly as New Zealanders to have a partnership with the Cook Islands that's contributed to the Cook Islands Ministry of Education's success in building one of the highest performing education sectors and Cook Island secondary students are now achieving NCEA results on a par with New Zealand students."

Prime Minister Puna says the country has a strong foundation for a candidacy. He says its target to be completely solar powered by 2020, its fisheries management, education investments and involvement with agencies like the World Health Organisation, make the Cook Islands a suitable candidate to represent the Pacific.

"The Cook Islands believe it is important our Pacific region has representation at the highest region of UNESCO. To our Pacific colleagues we pledge to be a positive and dynamic voice for the Pacific and to ensure that as member states you are well informed of UNESCO work and have an opportunity to access and participate with the Cook Islands as your conduit."

Mr Puna says New Zealand has always played a facilitative role as the nation became more active with regional organisations and he hopes Pacific and Asian nations will also support it in the UNESCO elections in November next year.