New vision for a stronger region

06.02.14 | News
Eygló Harðardóttir
Photographer
Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org
New year, new tone in Nordic co-operation. The first meeting of the ministers for Nordic co-operation in 2014 accepted a new vision proposed by the Icelandic chairperson, Eygló Harðardóttir, and gave the green light for a branding strategy.

The vision is one of the results of enthusiastic discussions held during the Swedish Presidency of the Council of Ministers in 2013. Freedom of movement, opportunities for work and education for all, innovation and creation all feature high on the agenda for co-operation and form part of the vision.

Integral to the vision is the knowledge that the countries are capable of achieving more together than separately. "Team Norden" will make the Region more visible and outgoing and involve stakeholders form culture, research, tourism, business, the environment and the media. 


"Countries will need to face the challenges of the future together – economic crises, shortages of natural resources, globalisation – and the Nordic Region has decades of positive experience in doing just that. We are stronger together and must use that fact," Harðardóttir says.


Higher profile

As well as the vision, the ministers also gave the go-ahead to develop a strategy for what some of the countries call branding, others call profiling or positioning.

This work needs to be done on a broad front and closely co-ordinated between the countries. A preliminary study shows overwhelming support for a joint platform, with political groups, special-interest groups, businesses and tourist agencies all agreeing that the time is right for such an initiative.


"The world is interested in and inquisitive about all things Nordic at the moment. Not just literature, films and design but also about our social structures and fundamental values. We appear to have answers to some of the questions the world is posing itself right now – how to build an open society capable of progress and of coping with crises. We should respond positively to this curiosity and use it as a source of inspiration for further social improvements," Harðardóttir adds.