Foreign Affairs

Policy accepted July 4, 2021

For Iceland to show solidarity with the small and oppressed who long for freedom and independence wherever they are found in the world.

To stand with democracy and human rights everywhere and in the struggle against economic power and oppression on the international stage.

That the interests of the country should be assessed based on the fact that Iceland is a small state and a society of people of diverse origins.

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 Iceland be an unarmed country, never engage in hostilities against other states nor support such actions, but rather work towards peaceful solutions to disputes.

That the country be completely unarmed and that weapon and nuclear transfers into Icelandic territorial waters and airspace be completely prohibited.

To increase democratic public participation in decision-making regarding the most significant aspects of a comprehensive foreign policy, and all major decisions that may arise and concern international consultation and participation in larger alliances shall be put to a national referendum.

That poverty be eradicated globally and that the basic human rights of all inhabitants of the earth be respected.

To support the global labor struggle and cooperation between labor movements internationally, and to combat human trafficking and the oppression of workers.

To declare a climate emergency and work with other states to avert climate catastrophes and the destruction of ecosystems.

To promote the establishment of strict international sanctions against individuals or companies misusing the resources of other nations. If suspicion of such arises, it shall be referred to an international court.

That the country's immigration laws be fundamentally revised with humanity and human rights at the forefront.

To support international cooperation but reject globalization on the terms of capitalism.

Iceland's development cooperation projects shall aim at sustainability, democracy, equality, and equity in the countries concerned.

To support all struggles for equality internationally based on class, origin, nationality, religion, language proficiency, education, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, skin color, ability, physical or mental capacity, and physique.

That an international court be established to address resource plundering, as well as environmental and economic crimes, as crimes against humanity

That international agreements are transparent and made without secrecy, with the welfare of people and the environment as a guiding principle.

For Iceland to work with other small nations so that the international community stands together on a peace treaty to seek solutions to the world's refugee crisis.

Additional content

Iceland is a small nation that has had to fight for sovereignty over time, and despite its small size, has 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 a democratic constitution can be better promoted in the world against the power of capital and the oppression of larger states against smaller ones. Iceland shall always be demilitarized and unarmed. We condemn all violence and in no way support armed conflicts or the oppression of one state against another. We do not want to allow arms shipments or stopovers with weapons, including nuclear weapons, into our territory or airspace, nor the transfer 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 regarding the development of a comprehensive foreign policy and international cooperation. It is important to create a consultation forum, 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 gained dominance 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. Labor protection and the labor movement, 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 the power of capital and oppression.

Global poverty cannot be eradicated except through concerted actions by nations, led by smaller nations rather than 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 foreign policy objective should be to make the entire world a better place.

There are increasingly more examples of democracy, living standards, and public power eroding due to the encroachment of capitalism, where civil rights yield 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 take environmental and climate issues much more firmly on the international stage, as well as the exploitation of capitalism in poorer communities and 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 deals with 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 assumed 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 the coming years and decades and strengthen Icelandic society, correct an unfavorable age composition, and ensure us increased strength 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 their own and their families' safety, peace, and a decent livelihood. Refugees must be received with humanity and human rights as guiding principles, bearing in mind that we are all inhabitants of the same Earth.