The Cook Islands: A Safe Haven In A Sea Of Uncertainty

The Cook Islands The Cook Islands is comprised of 15 islands spread over two million square kilometres of the South Pacific, situated northeast of New Zealand and south of Hawaii. It is very accessible by air from New Zealand, Australia, the USA, and other Pacific islands. The Cook Islands is a self-governing nation with its own written constitution. It is a sovereign state in free association with New Zealand, and has had full legislative and law-making powers since it obtained independence in 1965. The Cook Islands has a Westminster-styled parliamentary system with democratic elections every five years. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, with the Head of State being His Majesty King Charles III, represented in the Cook Islands by ‘the King’s Representative’. Legislative power is with the Cook Islands Parliament, whilst executive power is exercised by the Cook Islands Government and the King’s Representative. The Cook Islands resident population of approximately 15,000 marks it as one of the world’s smallest countries, but that has not prevented it from establishing itself in the international financial services industry through its innovative laws, and as a leader in the fight against money laundering and other financial crimes.   Significance Of…