Cook Islands joins nuclear ban treaty

iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand

7 September 2018

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The Cook Islands became the 15th state party to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on Tuesday, when their Instrument of Accession was presented by Ms Siai Taylor, Foreign Affairs Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Cook Islands. Accession is the process whereby a state that did not take part in negotiations of a treaty can become a state party to it, and is equivalent to ratification.

The Cook Islands is the second independent Pacific island nation to become a state party to the TPNW, following Palau's ratification on 3 May 2018. New Zealand deposited a territorial application in respect of Tokelau on 31 July 2018, at the same time as NZ ratified the TPNW - Tokelau currently does not have a separate international legal personality, and NZ therefore enters into binding treaty obligations on Tokelau's behalf following consultation and a decision by the General Fono.

There are now 60 signatories and 15 state parties to the TPNW, which will enter into force 90 days after the 50th ratification or accession.

The Cook Islands' Instrument of Accession and the updated table with the TPNW status of Pacific island states are available on the iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand site, http://www.icanw.org.nz

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