Constitutional and International Status

1.

The Cook Islands’ unique constitutional and international status

expresses itself in a great variety of features: although linked to New Zealand by a common Head of State (i.e. The Queen in right of New Zealand) and a common citizenship (that of New Zealand), in spite of the generous official development aid to the country made by its former colonial administrator, the Cook Islands has, over the years, gradually assumed the powers and duties of a fully-fledged independent country. "One of the vital factors determining the nature of the Cook Islands status as a self-governing State and its relation with New Zealand is its exclusive competence to amend or even repeal sections of the Cook Islands Constitution Act, 1964, and the Constitution itself.“ In an Exchange of Letters with the late Cook Islands Premier, Hon Sir Albert R Henry KBE, the then New Zealand Prime Minister, Hon Norman E Kirk stated in 1973: "...in the view of the New Zealand Government there are no legal fetters of any kind upon the the freedom of the Cook Islands, which make their own laws and control their own Constitution.“

The whole document is downloadable as PDF-file (141 kb)

updated
2008-01-02

Content:
THE REALM OF NEW ZEALAND
HEAD OF STATE
The Queen
Governor General
High Commissioner
Seperation of vice-regal and diplomatic roles
Queen’s Representative
RELATIONS WITH NEW ZEALAND
Bilateral Relations
Exchange of High Commissioners/ establishment of diplomatic relations
Citizenship/ Nationality
Conduct of Foreign Affairs
DEFENCE
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
DIPLOMATIC & CONSULAR RELATIONS
Recognition
Overseas Representation
Foreign Missions/ Accreditation
BILATERAL TREATIES AND AGREEMENTS
MULTILATERAL TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
OUTLOOK: Commonwealth and UN membership
HONOURS
JUDICIAL SYSTEM

2.

JOINT CENTENARY DECLARATION of the Principles of the Relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand

Text As Agreed on 6 April 2001

Downloadable as PDF-file
(90 kb)

3.

COOK ISLANDS CONSTITUTION ACT 1964

Downloadable as PDF-file
(37 kb)

4.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE COOK ISLANDS

Downloadable as PDF-file
(282 kb)

5.

Cook Islands Constitution Amendment (No. 25) Act 2002

Downloadable as PDF-file
(32 kb)

6.

Cook Islands Constitution Amendment (No. 26) Act 2003

Downloadable as PDF-file
(48 kb)

7.

Cook Islands Constitution Amendment (NO. 27) Act 2003

Downloadable as PDF-file
(21 kb)

8.

Henry-Richardson letter to Tarumizu ADB 1992-05-01

Downloadable as PDF-file
(63 kb)

9.

EXCHANGE OF LETTERS between the Goverment of New Zealand and the Goverment of Cook Islands on the constitutional relationship between the two countries

Downloadable as PDF-file
(78 kb)

10.

New Zealand Governor-General Letters Patent 1983

Downloadable as PDF-file
(158 kb)

11.

New Zealand Governor-General Letters Patent Amendment 1987

Downloadable as PDF-file
(80 kb)

12.

"THE COOK ISLANDS - A VOYAGE TO STATEHOOD" - Occasional Publication No. 1 July, 1998 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Rarotonga Cook Islands

Downloadable as PDF-file
(470 kb)

13.

"The Strange Death of the Realm of New Zealand: The Implications of a New Zealand Republic for the Cook Islands and Niue" by Andrew Townend

Downloadable as PDF-file
(468 kb)

14.

"The external affairs and defence of the Cook Islands - the 'Riddiford clause' considered" by Alex Frame

Downloadable as PDF-file
(853 kb)

to be continued...