Ávarp samstarfsráðherra Norðurlanda á friðarráðstefnunni The Imagine Forum: Nordic Solidarity for Peace

Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, samstarfsráðherra Norðurlanda:

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends.

Good morning and a warm welcome to all of you! 

During the next two days we will be discussing the concept of peace from different angles. Peace is a topic that is of fundamental importance for the wellbeing and prosperity of humankind. Now, when peace in Europe is threatened in a way that we have not witnessed since the end of the second world war, it is pertinent that we heighten and intensify the focus on peace in the political arena. Peace and security, harmony and lack of conflict; these are the basic components for living a good life that every human being longs for. But for many it is a distant dream or even only a mere vision, something they have only heard of, but have never in their lives experienced. And more and more children are born into a reality of that kind.

This conference is an important part of the Presidency of Iceland in the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2023. Iceland decided that in light of the serious deterioration of the peace and security situation in the West since February 2022, we could not run the presidency this year without addressing the great threats to peace that we are now witnessing. The invasion war in Ukraine, and its wide-ranging consequences, come on top of instability and conflict in other regions of the world that have become the main drivers of rising hunger and humanitarian needs.  The horrendous reports of the outbreak of war between the Hamas Group in Palestine and Israel, make today’s discussions even more relevant. Such circumstances make the solidarity and co-operation of the Nordic nations vitally important. The Nordic Region has collectively emerged at the international level as messengers of peace, and strong proponents of international agreements on peace and disarmament. And we must continue doing so.

The aim of this conference is to highlight the importance of peace as the foundation for human rights, welfare, women's rights, and environmental protection, and connecting this to our emphasis in the Nordic countries’ future vision as the world's most sustainable and most integrated region.

The war in Ukraine has shown us in a brutal way how easy it was to disrupt the hard-won peace in Europe that was brought about after World War II. As we have witnessed over and over again, war can break out overnight, but peace is fragile and elusive; it takes both enormous effort and a long time to win it back. 

During these conference days we aim to shed a light on the global consequences of conflict and unrest. It goes without saying that in war there will be innocent victims; women, children, people with disabilities, and other groups that are already marginalised and therefore more vulnerable socially. In times of war, their plight will be multiplied and have an even stronger effect on their personal situation as well as making them an easy target of violence and war crimes. 

Peace is always the prerequisite for human rights, especially women's rights, for social stability, and for environmental protection because like war, climate change also results in social unrest, migration, displacement and human tragedy. These, therefore, go hand in hand.

During Iceland's presidency, we want to emphasise that matters of peace should be one of the cornerstones of Nordic co-operation. In that context, I would also like to emphasise that the collaboration between peace centres and research institutions in the Nordic Region must be made more visible, and the good work that is being carried out there should receive a higher profile. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Nordic peace institutions for helping to set up a very exciting program for tomorrow´s sessions.

Dear friends,

Our mission is peace, and our work here is important towards that end. 

And on that note it is my distinct privilege to introduce Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, a distinguished global leader who currently holds the esteemed position of Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and serves as the Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Ms. Mohammed's illustrious career has been marked by her unwavering dedication to sustainable development, environmental protection, and social justice. She began her career on the international arena as Minister for the Environment in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where she spearheaded her country's initiatives in climate action and the preservation of the natural environment.

However, her impact extends far beyond her home nation. In 2012, Ms. Mohammed joined the United Nations as a Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, where she assumed a pivotal role in shaping the global development agenda. She led the charge in crafting the historic 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and played a key role in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), setting the world on a path towards a more equitable and sustainable future.

Ms. Mohammed the floor is yours.