Submission on the security and defence policy
Submission to Althingi's Foreign Affairs Committee on case 215, accompanied by the IISS's independent review of the policy
Cite this publication
Varða submitted comments to the Foreign Affairs Committee on the parliamentary resolution on security and defence policy, accompanied by an independent review of the policy by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The IISS finds the policy broad and ambitious, but judges that implementing it will be the main challenge.
Varða is grateful for the opportunity to comment on Iceland’s new security and defence policy.
In early autumn, Varða asked the British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) to assess Iceland’s new security and defence policy. The aim was to analyse how the policy can serve as a driver of a comprehensive approach to security and defence in Iceland, built on Nordic traditions of close cooperation between government, business and society.
In preparing the report, the IISS drew on public documents, academic literature and interviews with key figures in Icelandic politics, public administration and academia. Varða assisted in carrying out the project, but the IISS bears full responsibility for the content and findings of the analysis.
In its analysis, the IISS notes that the government’s policy is both broad and ambitious, but that implementing it will be the main challenge. Drawing on the experience of neighbouring states, the IISS highlights in particular issues that the government could usefully prioritise in order to strengthen cooperation between government, business and society further. The report, which accompanies this letter, sets out these issues in detail.
The IISS analysis repeatedly highlights the high level of trust in Iceland and the willingness to cooperate as strengths on which Iceland can build in implementing the new policy. Varða shares that assessment. It hopes that the broad trust that has characterised the development of the new policy will become embedded in the daily work of government, business and society as the policy is implemented. Such a shared culture in security and defence is a powerful source of resilience.
Varða hopes that the views set out in the IISS analysis will be of use to the committee, and wishes it well in its continuing work.
Öryggis- og varnarmálastefna ÍslandsÓháð úttekt IISS á stefnu stjórnvaldaLesa → 