Statement on Israel and Palestine from the Presidium of the Nordic Council

The Nordic Council’s recommendation Rec. 21/2015 to the Nordic governments remains valid and is just as relevant today as it was in 2015: “The Nordic Council recommends to the governments of the Nordic countries to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to work for peace and reconciliation through a peace agreement based on international law and UN resolutions.”

The war between Hamas and Israel, which has been ongoing since October 2023, has already caused significant civilian casualties.

The Nordic countries have previously acted internationally as brokers of peace, where over the years they have called for international agreements on peace and disarmament, and created a framework for crucial peace negotiations. Here we cite the peace negotiations between Reagan and Gorbachev in Iceland in 1986 and the Oslo Accords between Palestine and Israel in 1993 and 1995.

The Nordic countries have emphasised the importance of supporting international organisations, especially within the framework of the United Nations, as well as promoting and safeguarding international laws and treaties. The Nordic countries have a long tradition of mediating in conflicts in other countries and standing guard over human rights with advice and concrete assistance.

Peace is one of the Nordic values, and there’s a strong willingness for the Nordic countries and the Nordic Council to work towards peaceful solutions to conflicts. The Nordic Region has a good reputation and enjoys considerable trust worldwide as messengers of peaceful solutions. For small countries like ours with global connections, there are both moral and selfless arguments for this effort, which also has a clear Nordic value.