**145 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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**145 legislative session 2015 2016.**
**Parliamentary document 1166 — Case no. 327.** **no. 26/145.**

4. To ensure that the 1951 defence agreement between Iceland and the

United States continues to provide for Iceland’s defence, and that
cooperation between the two countries continues to be developed on
the basis of the agreement, which takes account of military threats and
other risks where mutual defence and security interests are at stake.

5. To develop and strengthen still further the cooperation among the

Nordic countries on security and defence, and other regional
cooperation, and participation in international cooperation in this field.

6. To ensure that Iceland has the defence infrastructure, equipment,

capacity, and expertise needed both to respond to the challenges facing
the country in connection with security and defence and to honour its
international commitments.

7. To ensure that the Government’s policy on civil protection and

security, which is formulated by the Protection and Civil Security
Council, is an integral part of the national security policy, and that
consideration is given therein to threats related to climate change,
natural disasters, food safety and security, health safety issues, and
epidemics.

8. To ensure increased cyber security through continued development of

Iceland’s internal capacity and cooperation with other countries.

9. To ensure that Government policies take into account other threats that

require full attention, such as terrorism, organised crime, and threats to
financial and economic security.

10.To ensure that Iceland and its territorial waters are declared free from

nuclear weapons, subject to Iceland’s international commitments, with
the aim of promoting disarmament and peace on Iceland’s part.

11.To ensure, by special legislation, the establishment of a National

Security Council that will carry out regular assessments of the current
situation and the outlook for security and defence issues, monitor
compliance with the national security policy, reflect the broad vision
of national security as presented in the policy, and review the policy at
intervals of no more than five years.

_Approved by the Parliament of Iceland on 13 April 2016._

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