About the ILO in the Cook Islands
The Cook Islands became the 186th ILO Member State in June 2015. The Cook Islands is a self-governing Parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. It comprises 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean with a population of 10,500 people (as at 2013) although some estimates suggest the resident population is closer to 13,700. While the country’s defense and foreign affairs are the responsibility of New Zealand, which is exercised in consultation with the Cook Islands, the Cook Islands Government has full oversight of domestic matters. Although the Cook Islands is not a United Nations Member State, it works with several UN agencies including the WHO and UNESCO, as well as having diplomatic relations in its own name with 43 other countries.