The Cook Islands National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) programme was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Samoa. The project evolved from many international declarations and policy statements such as the Agenda 21 and the WSSD Johannesburg Plan of Action and in the case of small islands developing states, the Barbados Programme of Action. The objective of the NCSA stocktaking exercise and stakeholder consultations is to review existing mechanisms and capacities of institutions and stakeholders. It will also identify capacity needs and gaps, appropriate facilities and systems and the knowledge and resources required for developing and strengthening the Cook Islands’ capacity to implement and meet national obligations under the MEAs.

The stocktaking and stakeholder consultations were carried out by Upoko Solutions Ltd. The NCSA stocktake overlapped with the Cook Islands Second National Communications (CI2NC) stocktake. It was suggested then that the CI2NC stocktake outcomes and information were considered relevant and an appropriate component of the NCSA stocktake.