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Cook Islands Handbook for ADB Missions

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Cook Islands Handbook for ADB Missions Cook Islands: Handbook for ADB Missions Kia Orana , Welcome to the Handbook for ADB Missions in the Cook Islands. This online booklet aims to provide you with information regarding our In-Country processes, Government contacts, protocols, resource availability and other general information which should be useful in planning your visit. These pages will provide you with the following information: ADB Support Structure and Contact details ADB In-country Mission clearance process ADB Cook Islands Project List Cook Island Government contacts, processes & protocol ODA Policy, principles and goals Information on the Cook Islands and its’ culture Visitor entry requirements: An entry permit is not required by persons who are entering the Cook Islands as bona-fide visitors. A bona-fide visitor refers to any person who enters the Cook Islands for recreation or vacation/holiday and is exempted from requiring an entry permit for a stay of not more than 31 days. It also applies to any person who enters the Cook Islands for the purpose of exploring investment opportunities. Those intending to attend business meetings, conferences, exhibitions and sports activities, including tournaments may also travel as bona-fide visitors. An extension beyond 31 days is however available only to those undertaking holiday or recreation. Once the in-country mission is approved by the Cook Islands Ministry of Finance and Economic Management through a “concurrence to missions clearance”, the ADB Support Office will notify Cook Islands Immigration of your pending arrival. Visitor Requirements All visitors must have adequate financial means of supporting their stay, hold valid tickets for their return journey to a port of origin or next port of destination and their passports valid for a period of at least six (6) months beyond the contemplated period of stay. New Zealand citizens travelling on New Zealand passports are not required to have proof of onward passage, except when applying for an extended stay. 2 | P a g e Cook Islands: Handbook for ADB Missions Table of Contents Visitor entry requirements: .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Section One ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.0 Cook Islands ADB Support Office: ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Asian Development Bank Cook Island Support team ................................................................................................... 6 1.2 ADB Office location: ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Incoming Mission Protocol ........................................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Cook Island Practice ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Mission process chart ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Section Two .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.0 Parliament of the Cook Islands ................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Ministerial Profiles ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Hon. Henry Puna ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 Hon. Mark Stephen Brown ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Other Ministers ................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Associate Ministers ........................................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 National Sustainable Development Commission (NSDC) ........................................................................................... 14 Section Three ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 3.0 Ministry of Finance and Economic Management ....................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Development Coordination Division........................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 ODA Guiding Principles, Goal, and Objectives: ........................................................................................................... 16 3.3 ODA Policy, Implementation Plan and Communications Strategy: ............................................................................ 17 3.4 Cook Islands Budget Process ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix 1: Government Departments and Agencies ......................................................................................................... 19 Public Service ................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Crown Funded Agencies ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Appendix 2: About the Cook Islands ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Appendix 3: Income tax flow chart ....................................................................................................................................... 25 3 | P a g e Cook Islands: Handbook for ADB Missions Acronyms Government Ministries: BTIB Business Trade and Investment Board CIG Cook Islands Government CIIC Cook Islands Investment Corporation DCD Development Coordination Division INTAFF Ministry of Internal Affairs MFAI Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration MFEM Ministry of Finance and Economic Management MMR Ministry of Marine Resources MOA Ministry of Agriculture MOE Ministry of Education MOH Ministry of Health MOW Ministry of Works NES National Environment Services OMIA Office of the Minister for Island Administration OPM Office of the Prime Minister SBA Seabed Minerals Authority Other Acronyms: ADB Asian Development Bank ADB SO Asian Development Bank Support Office ChinaAid Peoples Republic of China EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FFA Foreign Fisheries Agency GEF Global Environment Fund JFPR Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction NZAID New Zealand Aid PE Pa Enua/Sister Islands PIFS Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat PSDI Public Sector Development Initiative PRIF Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Programme UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific UNESCO United Nations Education , Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNICEF United Nations International Children Fund WHO World Health Organisation 4 | P a g e Cook Islands: Handbook for ADB Missions Section One 1.0 Cook Islands ADB Support Office: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has partnered with the Government of the Cook Islands since 1976. ADB’s harmonised strategy for the Cook Islands includes partnerships such as New Zealand Aid (NZAid), the European Union (EU), China and the United Nations. ADB also works closely with the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre, particularly on macroeconomic management and fiscal conditions, and with regional organisations including the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), who provide regional support in areas such as gender, health and statistics. ADB’s Country Office Business plan (COBP) for the Cook Islands was prepared in close coordination with development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector and aligns with the Pacific Approach 2010-2014 and the National Sustainable Development Plan of the Cook Islands (NSDP 2011-15). The Cook Islands ADB Support office was officially opened in August 2012. Our Structure: ADB Headquarters Finance Minister and ADB
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