News
July 4, 2021New foreign policy of the Socialist Party
The Socialist Congress 2021 unanimously adopted a new foreign policy of the Socialist Party.
The policy is as follows:
The policy of the Socialist Party of Iceland in foreign affairs is ...
... that the country's interests should be assessed based on the fact that Iceland is a small state and a society of people of diverse origins.
... that Iceland shows solidarity with the small and oppressed who long for freedom and independence wherever they are found in the world.
... that the country ensures ties with its closest neighboring nations, increases communication with other small nations and works towards establishing a peace alliance among nations instead of a military alliance.
... that democracy and human rights are supported everywhere and the struggle against capital and oppression on the international stage.
... that Iceland is an unarmed country, never wages war against other states nor supports such actions but works towards peaceful solutions to disputes.
... that the country is completely unarmed and the transport of weapons and nuclear materials into Icelandic territorial waters and airspace is completely prohibited.
... that democratic participation of the public in decision-making regarding the most significant aspects of a comprehensive foreign policy be increased, and all major decisions concerning international consultation and participation in larger alliances shall be put to a national referendum.
... that international cooperation is supported but globalization on the terms of capital is rejected.
... that poverty is eradicated globally and that the basic human rights of all inhabitants of the Earth are respected.
... that Iceland's development cooperation projects shall aim at sustainability, democracy, equality and equity in the states concerned.
... that labor struggles worldwide and cooperation of the labor movement between countries are supported, and that human trafficking and the oppression of workers are combated.
... that all equality struggles are supported internationally on the basis of class, origin, nationality, religion, language proficiency, education, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, skin color, ability, physical or mental aptitude, and body type.
... that a climate emergency is declared and work with other states to avert climate catastrophes and the destruction of ecosystems.
... that an international court is established that addresses resource plunder as well as environmental and economic crimes as crimes against humanity.
... that the establishment of strict international sanctions against individuals or companies misusing the resources of other nations is promoted. If suspicion of such arises, it shall be referred to an international court.
... that international agreements are transparent and made without secrecy, with the welfare of people and the environment as a guiding principle.
... that the country's immigration laws are fundamentally revised with humanity and human rights at the forefront.
... that Iceland works with other small nations to ensure that the international community unites in a peace treaty to seek solutions to the world's refugee crisis.
Further reading:
Iceland is a small nation that has had to fight for sovereignty over time but has, despite its small size, managed to gain independence from colonial powers. This valuable experience must be respected, and we have a duty to stand with other oppressed nations in similar situations. In this context, we can mention our neighboring nations such as Greenlanders and Faroese, as well as distant and war-torn nations like Palestinians and Kurds.
Instead of being a powerless small nation within a military alliance, we want the nation to strengthen its relationship and cooperation with neighboring nations and other small nations and establish a peace alliance. Such an alliance would be an alternative to the country's current presence in NATO. At the time, entry into NATO was not put to the nation. That should be done as soon as possible. In this way, human rights and democratic governance in the world can be better pursued against the capital and oppression of larger states against smaller ones. Furthermore, Iceland shall always be unarmed and weaponless. We condemn all violence and in no way support armed conflicts or the oppression of one state against another. We do not want to permit either the transport of weapons or stopovers with weapons, including nuclear weapons, into our territorial waters or airspace, nor the transport of prisoners where people are moved between countries under abnormal pretexts.
The democracy of nations is an important factor when it comes to living in a just and humane society. It is important to increase the democratic participation of the public in all institutions of society, as well as in major decisions concerning the development of a comprehensive foreign policy and international cooperation. It is important to create a consultation platform, for example in the form of randomly selected groups, so that elected representatives have the support of the grassroots of the nation and direct consultation on significant decisions. Furthermore, the public must be able to vote on larger and more controversial issues in a national referendum.
Inequality is growing in the world, and the richest one percent is becoming ever richer and more powerful, while the general public becomes more powerless. Thus, capitalism and the greedification of the world have taken hold through large corporations, which the governments of individual states and international organizations serve. The consequence is the breakdown of societies and democracy, natural resources, and climate. Worker protection and the labor struggle, which was widely built up in the last century, have been weakened, and general basic human rights and welfare are suffering. We are facing the largest migrations in history, where people flee their homelands due to quality of life, climate threats, or wars. The Socialist Party therefore rejects the globalization of financialized capitalism but supports international cooperation aimed at combating capital and oppression.
Global poverty will not be eradicated except through concerted actions of nations, led by smaller nations and not by superpowers. The goal of such cooperation should be to ensure all inhabitants of the Earth a decent livelihood and access to basic necessities such as shelter, food, and minimum subsistence. Furthermore, everyone should be able to live with human dignity, whether they can work or are outside the labor market, disabled or ill, or do not fit into a conditional traditional mold.
Iceland is a wealthy society and shall participate generously in development cooperation projects, paying special attention to social development, the struggle for the rights of the oppressed, and support for the poorest, alongside support for technology and innovation. Iceland's goal in foreign affairs should be to make the entire world a better place.
There are increasingly more examples of democracy, living standards, and the power of the public eroding due to the encroachment of capitalism, civil rights yielding to the power of the so-called market, and this hits hardest the most vulnerable groups who are most dependent on the democratic structure of society and active public advocacy; poorer people and marginalized groups, women, queer people, and other minorities.
The rights of the public are always greater than the rights of large corporations, and we need to reconsider much regarding the involvement of companies and wealthy capital owners in societies. The prosperity of us Icelanders can partly be attributed to our participation in exploiting the weak position of other nations where the main consumer goods of Western countries are produced by workers who often work under poor conditions and bad facilities. Production methods often cause polluting waste, which today has become an unacceptable byproduct. We need to take responsibility for this. Icelandic authorities, in cooperation with other states, need to address environmental and climate issues much more firmly on the international stage, as well as the misuse of capitalism in poorer communities and among people. It is unacceptable for large corporations, including Icelandic ones, to plunder other nations of their resources, sail under flags of convenience, and leave behind scorched earth. To combat such international violence, there is a need to expand the scope of the International Criminal Court or establish a new court that addresses bribery, resource plunder, and environmental crimes.
Today, the world faces the largest migrations in history, and refugees have not been more numerous since World War II. This is a consequence of wars and power struggles, the economic problems of vulnerable nations in globalized capitalism, and climate change. It must be anticipated that the number of refugees will increase significantly in the coming years, not least due to climate change. All nations of the world must take responsibility for this problem, and to address it, we need to revise the immigration laws we operate under today. Immigrants will increase in number in the coming years and decades and strengthen Icelandic society, correct an unfavorable age composition, and ensure us increased capacity to support welfare and justice within society. Our interests therefore align with the people who have been displaced and are seeking a new home where they can ensure safety, peace, and a decent livelihood for themselves and their families. Refugees must be received with humanity and human rights as a guiding principle, and it must be kept in mind that we are all inhabitants of the same Earth.