Iceland held the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2004, under the heading “Nordic Resources”. The title was intended to be understood in the broad sense – it referred not only to natural resources, but to social order, social conditions and cultural heritage.

The Nordic Region's primary resource is its citizens. The overarching goal of the Icelandic Presidency was therefore to extend and improve the use of human resources, and thereby strengthen the Nordic Region's international competitiveness.

The Nordic Region is also rich in natural resources – both in terms of untouched, diverse nature and resources that can be practically utilised. The Region's social structure is based on a strong democratic foundation, widespread social wealth, fruitful social debate and thriving NGOs.

The Nordic Region is run in an open and transparent manner, and its institutions generally enjoy a high degree of public confidence.

In general, the Nordic countries have each chosen the same solutions to ensure the provision of good education, research activity, use of technology, health services and social security.

As a result, the Nordic countries now occupy a prominent international position. The strong sense of affinity between the Nordic countries is evidence of the rich and diverse cultural heritage that we all share.

The Nordic countries enjoy close co-operation and relationships with each other, and the same is true of their relationships with neighbouring countries. The countries participate actively in international co-operation in several different ways, including via organisations that exert influence on developments in the Region and the Adjacent Areas.

These diverse resources combine to form the basis for Nordic welfare, and explain the Region's strong international position. Our resources must be exploited fully in order to bolster welfare and ensure the countries' make progress in the international arena.

The Icelandic Presidency had three main themes – democracy, culture and nature – which intertwined in different ways. Human resources cannot be separated from culture, social order and the democratic tradition, and natural resources cannot be utilised without knowledge and inventiveness.

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