Summary: State Party the Cook Islands ratified the convention on 23 August 2011 after enacting implementing legislation to enforce the convention’s provisions. It participated in the Oslo Process that created the convention, but has yet to attend a meeting of the convention. The Cook Islands has stated that it has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions. It must submit a transparency report for the convention to formally confirm this cluster munition–free status.

Policy

The Cook Islands signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008, ratified on 23 August 2011, and became a State Party on 1 February 2012.

The Cluster Munitions Act of 2011 serves as the Cook Islands’ implementing legislation for the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[1]

As of 30 June 2017, the Cook Islands still has not provided its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions, originally due by 30 July 2012.

The Cook Islands joined the Oslo Process in February 2008 and actively supported efforts to create a strong treaty text during the Dublin negotiations.[2]

It has never participated in a meeting of the convention.

The Cook Islands has not elaborated its views on certain important issues related to interpretation and implementation of the convention, such as the prohibition on transit, the prohibition on assistance during joint military operations with states not party that may use cluster munitions, the prohibition on foreign stockpiling of cluster munitions, the prohibition on investment in production of cluster munitions, and the need for retention of cluster munitions and submunitions for training and development purposes.

The Cook Islands is party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

The Cook Islands has stated on several occasions that it does not use, develop, produce, or stockpile cluster munitions.[3] It must submit a transparency report for the convention to formally confirm this cluster munition–free status.