Ávarp Guðlaugs Þórs Þórðarsonar umhverfis-, orku- og loftslagsráðherra á fundi nefndar OSPAR-samningsins um líffræðilega fjölbreytni - Ávarpið er á ensku

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
Welcome to Iceland. Welcome to Reykjavík. It is good to see you here.

I may not know you, except for the Icelandic delegation, but I still feel that I can say sincerely that it is indeed good to see you. I think we are overdue to meet in person in OSPAR, and in general, after two years of pandemic and gazing at screens. It is good that we have technology to hold virtual meetings – not least for a country like Iceland, where travel can be time-consuming and costly – but we do also need the building of mutual understanding and trust that face-to-face meetings can provide better than Webex or Zoom.

Building bridges, building trust, is especially important in difficult and dangerous times, like we are witnessing today in Europe. We have perhaps tended to take peace and prosperity for granted in our privileged part of the world. We have received a wake-up call. Civilized countries engage in dialogue and cooperate in solving common problems. We aim to seek common understanding and look for win-win solutions. We show respect for different viewpoints and settle our disagreements under the framework of law. This is not a natural state of things – it requires constant work and vigilance. So once again, let us be thankful for the meeting of minds and the forging of friendships between people and nations.

One of the uses of real meetings is that we get to know better the places we visit and understand where they are coming from. What unites our here in this forum is a desire to protect life in our seas. I note that OSPAR has recently agreed on a new strategy of work for this decade, so I think we have a good basis for action and exciting times ahead. Iceland wants to take advantage of hosting this meeting to deepen our engagement with BDC and the work of OSPAR. We need the cooperation of our North-Atlantic neighbours in ensuring a clean and healthy marine environment, and we seek your understanding of our situation and viewpoints.

For Iceland, the marine ecosystem is – without much exaggeration – the foundation for our economy and national existance. The rich fishing grounds around Iceland were our ticket from poverty to prosperity. Fisheries are still a cornerstone of our national economy and the main livelihood in most of our towns. Sustainable fisheries is not an abstract term, but a matter of the highest national importance. So is a healthy and unpolluted marine environment. Fisheries have various impacts on the marine environment, as do other marine activities. We need to minimize negative impacts, and ensure that we can benefit from the bounty of the seas for generations to come. Protection and sustainable use are two sides of the same coin. We need to address both sides.

I hope you take advantage of your visit here in Iceland and see more of our country than this conference venue. I welcome your work, I wish you a productive session, and I hope you also have some fun.
Thank you!