The foreign ministers of the five Nordic countries, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, have sent a joint letter to every member nation of the United Nations supporting Iceland’s candidacy for the Security Council.
The purpose of the letter is to emphasize that Iceland is representing the Nordic countries with its candidacy to the UNSC. The ministers met during a UN conference in New York yesterday, Morgunbladid reports.
Iceland’s campaign for a seat on the 2009-2010 council is about to reach its peak. The country is up against Austria and Turkey.
While in New York, Foreign Minister Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir plans to meet foreign ministers from countries who have not yet decided whether they will support Iceland, to discuss its candidacy.
Gísladóttir has already had meetings with the foreign ministers of Laos, Vietnam, Lesotho, Syria, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and countries along the Persian Gulf.
“I’m only receiving good responses,” Gísladóttir told Morgunbladid. “Some countries are not prepared to announce their support at this stage and would like more time to make up their minds. Other countries, especially the Arab countries, are emphasizing that they would like me to visit.”
The minister added that people are realizing how important it is that the voice of the Nordic countries is heard within the UNSC. “If we are not elected, six years could pass with no one representing the Nordic countries within the UNSC. I think that has only happened once, after 1946.”
Gísladóttir added she believes people are becoming aware that small states matter in the UNSC arena, considering more than half of the UN member nations are small states. “I think our chances are good, but our election is far from being definite.”
