Iceland's Foreign Policy since the end of Cold War Human Rights

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Iceland's Foreign Policy since the end of Cold
War- Human Rights -

• Björg Thorarensen - University of Iceland
• Centre for small state studies
• Workshop on Small States
• 17-18 September 2004

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Two basic questions

• Has the end of the Cold War generally affected
  international co-operation in the field of human
  rights?
• If so, how is this reflected in Icelands policy
  in international co-operation concerning human
  rights?

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International forum to address human right issues

• The United Nations
• Main forum where Iceland participates in
  international co-operation on human rights.
• Regional co-operation
• The Council of Europe
• Nordic co-operation
• The Organization for Security and Co-operation in
  Europe (OSCE)

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General impact of the end of the Cold War with
regard to human rights

• Cold War Human rights as an element in an
  ideological struggle.
• Western states prioritising civil and political
  rights and freedoms
• Eastern and developing states prioritising
  economic and social rights.
• Fundamentally different approaches with regard to
  the role of the state.
• International co-operation on human rights and
  their codification into treaties was more or less
  affected by these different approaches

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New problems and tasksafter the end of the Cold
War

• Non-state actors play more significant role.
• Not only Governments violate human rights.
• Problems of armed conflict between non-state
  actors where the possession of authority is
  unclear.
• Growing tendency in international law to make
  individual perpetrators responsible and to define
  international crimes.
• Ad hoc criminal tribunals of former Yugoslavia
  and Rwanda (Security Council resolutions)
• The Rome Statute of the International Criminal
  Court (1998).

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New problems and tasksafter the end of the Cold
War

• Violations of human rights committed within the
  private sphere (family, cultural traditions,
  criminal activity) require positive actions of
  states.
• Women and children particularly vulnerable
  groups.
• Growing North/South disparity in wealth and
  access to resources
• Alarming increase in violence, poverty and
  unemployment, homelessness and displaced persons
  require new emphasis and measures by Governments.

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Icelands commitment to human rights within the
UN

• Ratification of all major human rights UN
  Conventions.
• Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and
  its two optional protocols.
• Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  (1966).
• Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
  Racial Discrimination (1965).
• CEDAW-Convention on the Elimination of
  Discrimination against Women(1979) and optional
  protocol (1999)
• Convention against Torture (1984)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and
  two optional protocols (2000)

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Some key issues in Icelands policy

• Efforts to strengthen conflict prevention and
  conflict resolution, including efforts to ensure
  that human rights violators are brought to
  justice.
• Promoting economic and social development
• The safeguarding of non-discrimination norms and
  the rights of women and of children.
• Strong support of all progress in womens right
  and gender equality implementation of CEDAW

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Issues and fields of active participation

• Active participation in the 3rd Committee
  (sub-committee of the General Assembly with human
  rights affairs).
• in group comprised of like minded states in close
  co-operation with EU states.
• Member of the Commission on the Status of Women
  since 2004.
• Strong support of the Security Council Resolution
  No. 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (2000).

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Icelands Candidature for the Security Council

• Iceland has now presented its candidature to one
  of the non-permanent seats allocated to the
  Western European and other States Group in the
  Security Council for the term 2009-2010.
• Full support of the other Nordic countries.

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Icelands Policy for the Security Council

• Respect for human rights and promotion of
  democracy
• International sanctions for genocide and gross
  violations of human rights.
• Promoting arms control, with special emphasis on
  efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons
  of mass destruction, spread of small arms and of
  anti-personnel mines.
• Reforms on the Security Council with the
  objective of increasing efficiency and more
  balanced representation.

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Policy for the future

• The commitment to participate fully in
  international co-operation for the protection and
  promotion of human rights in the world.
• Based on the view that the principle of equal
  participation by all member states is central to
  the legitimacy of the United Nations.