The Cook Islands is now officially a member of the International Maritime Organization, or IMO.
The Cook Islands had first applied to join the IMO in 1999 and the necessary 112th vote was gained in July.
Anthony Talouli of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, says the Cook Islands will now be able to apply for IMO funding for training and capacity building.
The Pacific islands countries that are IMO members are Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.
Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Niue, who have shown an interest in becoming IMO members.
