145th legislative session 2015-2016.
Parliamentary document 1166 — Case no. 327.
no. 26/145.
PARLIAMENTARY RESOLUTION
on a National Security Policy for Iceland
Parliament has resolved to entrust the Government with adhering to the following
national security policy, which ensures Iceland’s independence and sovereignty,
territorial integrity, the safety of its citizens, and the protection of its governmental
system and social infrastructure.
The policy is based on proposals from the Parliamentary committee on the
formulation of a national security policy for Iceland, which Parliament entrusted the
Minister for Foreign Affairs with establishing on the basis of Parliamentary
Resolution no. 45/139 of 16 September 2011.
The Government’s national security policy is based on the commitments provided
for in the Charter of the United Nations and is guided by the basic values of the
Icelandic nation: democracy, respect for the rule of law and international law,
humanitarianism and protection of human rights, equal rights for all, sustainable
development, and disarmament and peaceful resolution of conflicts. The
fundamental premise of the policy is Iceland’s status as a sparsely populated island
nation that has neither the resources nor the desire to maintain an army and provides
for its security and defence through active cooperation, both with other countries
and within international organisations.
The policy extends to global, societal, and military risks and entails active foreign
affairs policy, civil security, and defence cooperation with other countries.
The national security policy includes the following points of emphasis, which
carry equal weight:
1. To ensure the protection of Iceland’s broad security interests through
active international cooperation on the basis of international law and
with peaceful resolution of conflicts, disarmament, respect for human
rights and the rule of law, gender equality, and the fight against
inequality, hunger, and poverty as guiding principles.
2. To give particular consideration to Iceland’s environmental and
security interests in the Arctic through international cooperation and
domestic preparedness.
3. To ensure that Iceland’s membership of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) remains a key pillar in its defence and the main
forum for Western cooperation in which Iceland participates on civil
premises, in order to strengthen its own security and that of other
NATO members.
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