Iceland review - 2012, Qupperneq 62

60 ICELAND REVIEW
Making a Difference
Last year marked a mile-
stone in Iceland’s par-
ticipation in international
development cooperation.
Forty years had passed
since it formally began.
Also, 2011 saw the thir-
tieth anniversary of Iceland’s International
Development Agency (ICEIDA) and ten
years since the founding of the Icelandic
Crisis Response Unit.
And there’s more. In June 2011, the
first comprehensive strategy for Iceland’s
international development cooperation was
approved by Members of Parliament. “It
was pleasing to see how universal the sup-
port was, crossing all parties. We can make
a difference even if we are a small coun-
try,” says María Erla. “It was also positive
to see how interested and supportive the
MPs were when the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Össur Skarphéðinsson, presented
his report on foreign affairs at Alþing ear-
lier this year. The Strategy for the years
2011-14 identifies international develop-
ment cooperation as one of the key pillars
of Iceland’s foreign policy. It builds on the
Millennium Development Goals, María Erla
explains. “The priority areas in the Strategy
are natural resources, human capital, and
peace-building-more specifically fisher-
ies and renewable energy, education and
health, good governance and reconstruction.
Furthermore, in all our undertakings, special
emphasis is put on gender equality and envi-
ronmental concerns.”
Currently, Iceland’s bilateral partner coun-
tries are the sub-Saharan African states of
Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda. Special
attention is also given to peace-building
in Afghanistan and support to Palestinian
refugees. “We have identified four multi-
lateral organizations as our key partner
organizations: the World Bank, UNICEF,
UN Women, and the United Nations
University,” María Erla explains, adding
that humanitarian assistance represents an
important element in Iceland’s develop-
ment policy, focusing on the work of non-
governmental organizations, the World Food
Programme, the UN Central Emergency
Response Fund, and the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
She also points out that Iceland is com-
mitted to the UN target, to which the
developed countries have pledged to allo-
cate 0.7 percent of their gross national
income for official development assistance.
According to the Strategy, Iceland’s aim is to
reach 0.7 percent in 2019.
An example of Iceland’s bilateral devel-
opment cooperation is the full-fledged
Monkey Bay Community hospital in the
Mangochi district in Malawi, which was
formally handed over earlier this year and
now serves a large area. The Minister for
Foreign Affairs and his delegation, including
María Erla, visited Malawi on the occasion
and were greeted with song, dance, warmth,
and joy.
“This was my first trip to Africa and it was
an unforgettable experience. The policy and
issues which are part of my daily work sud-
denly became real,” she smiles. “We got to
see with our own eyes how much Iceland’s
contributions are really helping the locals
build a better life for themselves and their
families. We also visited health care clinics,
Photos By PÁll stefÁnsson and courtesy of tHe ministry for foreign affairs
Despite being a small country that has recently undergone
a financial collapse, Iceland still has the will and ability to
contribute to creating a better world. At the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs, Ásta Andrésdóttir met with María erla Marelsdóttir,
Director General at the Directorate for International
Development Cooperation.