The Government of the Cook Islands in Febuary 2026 officially opened the IORIS Foundational and Leadership Training, a comprehensive two-week programme designed to enhance national maritime security capabilities, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and improve information-sharing across government departments.
Delivered under the European Union-funded CRIMARIO (Critical Maritime Routes Indo-Pacific) project, the training focuses on the use of IORIS—a secure, web-based platform that facilitates real-time coordination and intelligence sharing between national and regional agencies involved in maritime security.
Participation in IORIS reflects the Cook Islands’ commitment to regional security frameworks and declarations that prioritise cooperation, interoperability, and collective responses to transnational maritime threats spanning the Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions. This initiative also directly supports key objectives within the Cook Islands National Security Policy, especially the protection of the country’s expansive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and strengthening whole-of-government operational coordination.
At the opening ceremony, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister, Karopaerangi Ngatoko, underscored the value of modern technology and skills in addressing increasingly complex maritime security challenges.
“This training is a direct investment in our national security capability,” said Ms Ngatoko. “IORIS equips our agencies with contemporary tools and techniques to share information more effectively, coordinate responses swiftly, and keep pace with evolving maritime risks. The Office of the Prime Minister remains firmly committed to supporting our law enforcement partners and stakeholders in safeguarding the Cook Islands EEZ against both internal and external threats. We deeply value partnership, coordination, and readiness, and see this training as a meaningful investment in all three.”
The Cook Islands was first introduced to the IORIS platform in 2023 through training hosted by the Pacific Fusion Centre in Vanuatu. Since then, the Office of the Prime Minister has facilitated the platform’s adoption across nine government agencies, with nineteen registered users nationwide. Additionally, Cook Islands agencies have participated in regional tabletop exercises utilizing IORIS alongside partners from the Pacific and Latin America.
The current Foundational and Leadership courses aim to develop advanced users and national administrators, enabling Cook Islands agencies to manage country-specific coordination areas within IORIS and provide ongoing technical support to users.
The Government expressed appreciation for the continued support of the CRIMARIO project, which has provided the IORIS platform to the Cook Islands at no cost, along with sustained training and technical assistance through the IORIS Instructor and Pacific Lead role.
Special thanks were extended to the Cook Islands Police Service and Customs Service for co-hosting the training sessions, as well as to the Heads of Agencies who nominated participants for the programme.
This training reinforces the Cook Islands’ dedication to collaborative governance and regional partnerships aimed at safeguarding maritime security and protecting the nation’s vital interests in the Indo-Pacific.
