Article on the national workshop for the Cook Islands on Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), delivered last month by the Cook Islands National Environment Service (NES). Cook Islands is the trailblazer in the Pacific islands region for undergoing the process of identifying, recognising, support and reporting OECMs. The lessons and experience from their process will be important for replicating OECMs across the region. OECMs are a key element of the protected area target (Target 3) of the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).