Minister announces defence policy formulation and actions
Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, presented a proposal to the government yesterday for the formulation of a policy for Iceland's security and defence. The new coalition government's platform from 21 December 2024 states that a security and defence policy will be formulated. The policy is intended to describe the main security challenges in the short and long term with an emphasis on external threats, highlight Iceland's goals in international security and defence cooperation, discuss necessary defence preparedness, and the organization and capabilities that need to be in place in Iceland, in addition to pointing out possible reforms to the legal and institutional framework for defence.
“The need to strengthen security and defence is urgent, and therefore I have accelerated this policy development, which will be carried out in collaboration with all parties in Althingi (parliament),” says Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. “We need to ensure that the necessary knowledge, capabilities and infrastructure are in place to ensure Iceland’s security in collaboration with our Allies. Today, we are not only initiating policy formulation, but also concrete actions.”
The policy will be based on policies and commitments that Iceland has undertaken and participated in developing, including within NATO, based on the bilateral defence agreement with the United States, and regional defence cooperation. A panel composed of members of Parliament from all parties represented in Althingi will be established to discuss the content and focus of the policy. Input will also be sought from domestic and foreign experts in the field of security and defence. Close consultation will be held with the Foreign Affairs Committee of Althingi, the Ministerial Committee on Security and Defence, and the National Security Council. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will manage the work in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and other ministries and institutions. The aim is to submit a draft policy before the end of the spring session of Althingi.
At the same time, actions will be taken to strengthen Iceland's defence capabilities within the current defence budget. This includes, inter alia, increasing synergy in the work of civilian institutions through increased cooperation, enhanced monitoring and response capabilities and the purchase of specialized equipment.
Among the actions that will be taken is the establishment of an interagency coordination structure within the Directorate for Defence of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This will be established in close cooperation with the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IS). An unmanned surveillance submarine will be put into operation in cooperation with the Coast Guard to strengthen surveillance of submarine cables and ports. Surveillance of cyberattacks will also be strengthened, secure communications will be improved, and equipment to detect and stop illegal drones will be purchased.
