MEDIA RELEASE: COOK ISLANDS SPORTING COMMUNITY STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands – Representatives from across the Cook Islands sporting community, government agencies and civil society organisations have strengthened their understanding of safeguarding through a series of awareness and training workshops delivered in collaboration with the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) earlier this month.

Facilitated by Australian Government’s Team Up Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Safeguarding Advisor Roshika Deo, the training focused on building greater awareness and understanding of safeguarding and on supporting safer, more inclusive environments across sport. The training was delivered as part of technical support provided through the Oceania Impact Network, with funding support from Olympic Solidarity.

Three sets of training were delivered, including safeguarding awareness sessions for national sports federations, government agencies and civil society organisations, as well as a Train the Trainers workshop for key national federation representatives.

The safeguarding awareness training brought together 59 participants, including 34 women and 25 men. Six young athletes preparing to attend the Youth Olympic Games also participated in the training.

A further 15 people, including 10 women and five men, participated in the Train the Trainer workshop, helping to strengthen local capacity to deliver safeguarding sessions across the sporting community.

Team Up GEDSI and Safeguarding Advisor Roshika Deo said the sessions provided an opportunity to build a greater understanding of safeguarding and its importance across all levels of sport.

“One of the highlights was developing a tailored ‘Train the Trainer’ program to equip key representatives from several national federations with the knowledge and skills to deliver foundational safeguarding training. They were able to examine and learn different learning styles for various target groups as well as being introduced to interactive training methods. The training included managing group dynamics and ensuring the space is safe for everyone.”

For Tina Mitchell, a paddler and athlete with her vaka club (outrigger canoeing) who also serves on the board of Athletics Cook Islands, the workshop encouraged reflection on what safeguarding means in practice.

“The workshop was very informative and gave me a clearer understanding of what safeguarding is, what it really involves and why it matters. It made me reflect on whether safeguarding is sometimes neglected, not on purpose, but because we often assume our sports environments are naturally safe. It’s easy to get comfortable and only react when a problem arises, rather than being proactive. Moving forward, I hope we can normalise these conversations, build active awareness, and ensure safeguarding remains a top priority across our entire sporting community,” she said.

CISNOC Secretary General Geoffrey Halston said the strong participation reflected the sporting community’s commitment to creating safe and inclusive environments.

“The strong attendance across our safeguarding workshops reflects the growing commitment of the Cook Islands sporting community to creating safe and inclusive sporting environments. I would like to sincerely thank all attendees, National Federations, CISNOC staff and Board members, Government agencies, NGOs, and community partners who contributed to the success of this important initiative.

Sport is an integral part of who we are as a nation. It brings our families, villages and islands together, and everyone involved deserves to feel safe, from our youngest participants to our coaches, officials, volunteers and supporters.”

With the Cook Islands preparing to host the Pacific Mini Games in 2029 and continuing to send athletes and officials to international events, Geoffrey said safeguarding needed to become part of the everyday practice of National Federations, supported by stronger policies, education and implementation across sport.

“Meitaki ma'ata to Olympic Solidarity, Team Up, and our facilitator, Roshika Deo, for your expertise, energy and commitment to helping us build a safer sporting environment for all,” he said.

The training supports ongoing efforts to strengthen safeguarding across sport in the Cook Islands, with a focus on building awareness, capacity and practical approaches to creating sporting environments where participants feel safe, respected and included.