Iceland and the Nordic Region as a force for peace
Along with his colleagues on MR-SAM, the Icelandic Minister for Co-operation, Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, put his hand to the tiller today to help the Council of Ministers navigate the year ahead.
Once Karen Ellemann, the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, had welcomed everybody, Guðbrandsson presented the programme for the Presidency, “A Force for Peace”.
The Nordic Region is one of the most peaceful regions in the world, and we have a duty to highlight the importance of peace. It is the foundation on which important shared Nordic values are built, such as human rights, welfare, women’s liberation and environmental and climate protection.
Highlight peace whenever appropriate
Iceland wants the Nordic Region to act as a messenger for peace and for the theme to be highlighted whenever appropriate in Nordic co-operation, for example, where fundamental Nordic values are concerned, such as trust, security, equality and democracy. As part of these efforts, the Council of Ministers will co-host a major international peace conference in Reykjavík in October.
“A major international event like this will give us an opportunity to convey our message about the importance of peace,” Guðbrandsson says.
Vision 2030 is the key element
Like the programme for the Norwegian Presidency last year, the main foundation of the Icelandic programme is Vision 2030 and the ambition of making the Nordic Region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
