The Cook Islands joined UNESCO on 25 October 1989. The country is covered by the UNESCO Office in Apia, Samoa.
The Cook Islands, located in Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean, consist of nine volcanic islands and numerous atolls covering approximately 240 square kilometres. Agriculture provides most of the country’s income, in particular through the export of copra (shelled coconut kernels from which oil can be extracted) and citrus fruit.
As part of the project “Basic Trades for Small Island Nations”, young construction workers in the country were provided in 2006 with literacy skills to improve their qualification.