A delegation from the Cook Islands National Environment Service (NES) participated in the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23) in Panama City from 1–5 December 2025.
The conference was held under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which Cook Islands ratified in 1998. CRIC is a subsidiary body of the UNCCD that assesses how countries are implementing the Convention and provides guidance ahead of larger negotiations. The session brought together roughly 430 delegates from 196 countries and the European Union, and featured the first CRIC Gender Caucus, which focused on Indigenous women’s leadership in sustainable land management.
The Cook Islands delegation included Tekura Moeka’a (EPP Manager), Maria Maoate (Research and Data Coordinator), Sandee Cook (Digital and Communications Coordinator), and Fred Nicholas (GEF7 Project Officer). The team participated in plenary sessions, regional coordination meetings, contact groups and side events throughout the week.
Ahead of CRIC23, a pre-session capacity-building activity was held, with Maria Maoate participating in the UNCCD Women’s Delegate Fund Negotiations Training on 28–29 November.
During the closing session, Cook Islands delivered the closing statement on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States. The statement emphasized three priorities: capacity building that equips national systems and local land stewards with lasting tools and capabilities, timely and predictable financial flows that enable immediate action, and gender-responsive implementation that resources the leadership of Indigenous women, youth and communities who sustain the land.
The delegation highlighted challenges specific to small islands, including how coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion affect productive land, the vulnerability of freshwater sources during drought, and the need for monitoring approaches that reflect small island realities.
The Cook Islands is now beginning preparations for the 2026 UNCCD reporting cycle under the convention and a capacity-building workshop for Pacific Island Countries scheduled for next year.
