Kia Orana It is my great privilege to acknowledge and thoroughly enjoy working in the cultural industry with great passion in our cultural language, history, identity and greater recognition to support and coordination with our community and partners locally, regionally and international.

Cook Islands have recently became a member to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 2016 and ratified a number of international cultural conventions that safeguards cultural practice under UNESCO and WIPO.

In 2017, Ministry of Cultural Development released its first Cook Islands National Cultural Policy 2017 – 2030 and the National Cultural Strategy 2017 – 2030.

This is a milestone, for the Cook Islands in recognition of its first cultural policy, that also aligns to the Pacific Regional Cultural Policy and the Cook Islands National Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2020.

The NSDP is currently under review focus on the next 25 to 100 years. The digital world has created another landscape platform of further conveying, promotion and widely expanding our cultural identity and heritage to the rest of the world

Key Strategic Areas

Language

Focus: Emphasis will be centred on the strengthening of the Cook Islands Maori languages and / or all its dialects in our four strategic areas. They are the homes, the school, the workplace and adult learning.

Outcomes: All Cook Islands people genuinely value the Cook Islands Maori languages and dialects and can use them properly

Art and Art Forms

Focus: To educate our people on our arts and so they can appreciate our different art forms and use them as a foundation to diversify and be creative.

Outcomes: Raise awareness of the arts and various art forms for the benefit of our people

History and Historical Places

Focus: Collect, store and raise awareness of our history and maintain all our historical places.

Outcomes: More people have knowledge of our history and historical places and appreciate our culture as a result of having that knowledge

Cultural Industry

Focus: Better co-ordinate our cultural industry through promotion of our unique cultural products.

Outcomes: Better develop our cultural industry as a way of improving the standard of living our people and stimulating economic activities

Support and Co-ordination

Focus: The Ministry of Cultural Development, being the major implementation agency of this policy will ensure the spirit of this policy is upheld at the highest possible level

Outcomes: Improved efficiency, effectiveness and economy in the delivery of services that support the preservation, perpetuation and promotion of our language and culture