Regional Cooperation

Regional cooperation regarding the environment

Iceland attaches great importance to regional cooperation regarding the environment.

The activities of the Arctic Council are of particular importance in this respect, as the Council provides the main venue for the member states to promote sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. Iceland served as Chair to the Arctic Council 2002-2004. In addition, the work of the Nordic Council, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), on environmental issues, is extremely valuable.

Iceland is party to various important conventions on the environment, among them the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic and the Bern Agreement on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

Regional cooperation regarding sustainable utilization of marine resources

Regional fisheries management organizations play a key role in securing the conservation and sustainable use of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks. In this respect, Iceland cooperates actively with neighboring countries to ensure conservation and sustainable use of marine resources in nearby waters. This cooperation is carried out within regional organizations such as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO), the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO), and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).