The UN's International Maritime Organisation made the Cook Islands, a scattered archipelago north west of New Zealand, its latest member state following a deposit on July 1.
As the Cook Islands is not a UN member, its application required the approval of two-thirds of the current IMO membership, totalling 112. The Cook Islands applied to join IMO in 1999 and the 112th letter of acceptance was received by the IMO Secretariat on 15 July 2008.
The 18,700-population Cook Islands participate in WHO and UNESCO, and are an associate member of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), are an associated parliamentary state of New Zealand, sharing the Queen and having the NZ High Commissioner (de facto ambassador) acting as the Queen's Representative (de facto governor general).
Following the accession the total IMO member states stands at 168, with a further three associate members.
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