To guide the development of the Marae Moana policy and legislation, the Office of the Prime Minister established and chaired a Cook Islands Marine Park Steering Committee (CIMP SC). The CIMP SC was comprised of:
Government Agencies
- Office of the Prime Minister (Chair)
- Ministry of Marine Resources
- National Environment Service
- Cook Islands Tourism Corporation
- Crown Law
- Ministry of Finance and Economic Management
- Seabed Minerals Authority
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning
Traditional Leaders:
- House of Ariki
- Koutu Nui
Cook Islands Environmental NGO:
- Te Ipukarea Society
Kevin Iro, who conceived the idea for a Cook Islands Marine Park, also sat on the CIMP SC. When there were difficulties progressing the agenda under the CIMP SC, a Marae Moana Task Force was established. The Task Force was comprised of Heads of Ministry from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Marine Resources, the National Environment Service and the Seabed Minerals Authority with Jacqui Evans as the secretariat. Later, NGOs and traditional leaders joined the Task Force, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Cook Islands Investment Corporation and the Ministry of Transport.
The CIMP SC and Task Force no longer operate now that the Marae Moana Act 2017 has established formal institutional arrangements including the Marae Moana Council and the Marae Moana Technical Advisory Group (see page “What is Marae Moana” for the composition of these groups).