West Nordic Council
Encyclopedia
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. It was initially founded in 1985 as the West Nordic Parliamentarian Council of Cooperation but the name was changed in 1997. The council comprises six MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s from each nation appointed by their respective parliaments. The annual general meeting of the council rotates between the members and is its highest authority. The work and activities of the Council are organized by a three-member presidium
Presidium
The presidium or praesidium is the name for the heading organ of various legislative and organizational bodies.-Historical usage:...
of which the president of the council is a member. The current (August 2008 to August 2009) president is Kári P. Højgaard
Kári P. Højgaard
Kári Páll Højgaard is the current head of the Faroese Independence Party and President of the West Nordic Council....
.
The nations of the Council share a somewhat common recent history: Greenland and the Faroes are autonomous territories of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Iceland is a former Danish possession. They also share a similar economic base, all being dependent on fisheries. The Council's main objectives are:
- To promote West Nordic (north Atlantic) interests.
- To be guardians of north Atlantic resources and north Atlantic culture and to help promoting West Nordic interests through the West Nordic governments – not least with regards to the serious issues of resource management, pollution etc.
- To follow up on the governments' West Nordic cooperation.
- To work with the Nordic Council and to be the West Nordic link in Nordic cooperation.
- To act as the parliamentary link for inter-West Nordic organisations, including Arctic parliamentary cooperation.
The West Nordic Council is separate from the Nordic Council
Nordic Council
The Nordic Council is a geo-political, inter-parliamentary forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries. It was established following World War II and its first concrete result was the introduction in 1952 of a common labour market and free movement across borders without passports for the...
, although all of the members of the West Nordic Council are also members of the Nordic Council and there is some cooperation between the two.
Presidents and general meetings
- 27th general meeting: Bifröst University, August 2011; president: Kári P. HøjgaardKári P. HøjgaardKári Páll Højgaard is the current head of the Faroese Independence Party and President of the West Nordic Council....
- 26th general meeting: TasiilaqTasiilaqTasiilaq is a town in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland. With 1,930 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the most populous community on the eastern coast, and the seventh-largest town in Greenland...
, August 2010; president: Ólína ÞorvarðardóttirÓlína ÞorvarðardóttirÓlína Þorvarðardóttir is a member of the Icelandic parliament Alþingi, representing the Samfylking for the Northwest Constituency since 2009...
2010–2011 - 25th general meeting: RunavíkRunavíkRunavík is a comparatively urbanised village in the Faroe Islands. It lies on the south half of the isle of Eysturoy. The municipality of the same name incorporates 14 settlements including Æðuvík, Rituvík, Saltangará, Glyvrar, Lambi, Lambareiði, Søldarfjørður, Skipanes, Skáli, Skálafjørður,...
and TórshavnTórshavnTórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
, August 2009; president: Josef MotzfeldtJosef MotzfeldtJosef Motzfeldt is a Greenland politician and serves as Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs in the Greenland Homerule Gorvernment.He is the current president of the West Nordic Council....
2009–2010 - 24th general meeting: GrundarfjörðurGrundarfjörðurGrundarfjörður is a small town, situated in the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west of Iceland.The town had 938 inhabitants in 2004 and 974 inhabitants in 2005. The town is situated in front of an impressive mountain range which has a slightly alpine look. On the sea side, there is a ...
, August 2008; president: Kári P. HøjgaardKári P. HøjgaardKári Páll Højgaard is the current head of the Faroese Independence Party and President of the West Nordic Council....
2008–2009 - 23th general meeting: NuukNuukNuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, August 2007; president: Karl V. Matthíasson 2007–2008 - 22th general meeting: TórshavnTórshavnTórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
, August 2006; president: Jonathan MotzfeldtJonathan MotzfeldtJonathan Motzfeldt was the first and third Prime Minister of Greenland.From 1979 to 1988, in 1997 and from 2003 to 2008, he was Chairman of the Greenland Landsting. He was prime minister twice, from 1 May 1979 to 18 March 1991 and from 19 September 1997 to 14 December 2002...
2006–2007 - 21th general meeting: ÍsafjörðurÍsafjörðurÍsafjörður is a town in the north west of Iceland, seat of Ísafjarðarbær municipality.The town draws its name from the fjord and the fjord was given its name simultaneously to the island...
, 2005; president: Henrik Old 2005–2006 - 20th general meeting: NarsarsuaqNarsarsuaqNarsarsuaq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It had 158 inhabitants in 2010. There is a thriving tourism industry in and around Narsarsuaq, whose attractions include a great diversity of wildlife, gemstones, tours to glaciers, and an airfield museum...
, 2004; president: Birgir ÁrmannssonBirgir ÁrmannssonBirgir Ármannsson is a member of parliament of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament. He is a member of the Independence Party.-External links:*...
2004–2005 - 19th general meeting: EiðiEiðiEiði is a large village located on the north-west tip of Eysturoy, Faroe Islands Its name means isthmus in the Faroese language. The town has a population of 669In the center of the village there is a large stone church from 1881...
, 2003; president: Jonathan MotzfeldtJonathan MotzfeldtJonathan Motzfeldt was the first and third Prime Minister of Greenland.From 1979 to 1988, in 1997 and from 2003 to 2008, he was Chairman of the Greenland Landsting. He was prime minister twice, from 1 May 1979 to 18 March 1991 and from 19 September 1997 to 14 December 2002...
2003–2004 - 18th general meeting: StykkishólmurStykkishólmurStykkishólmur is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, to the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.With its 1,100 inhabitants, it is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and tourism. A ferry called Baldur goes...
, 2002; president: Jógvan á Lakjuni 2002–2003 - 17th general meeting: NuukNuukNuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, 2001; president: Hjálmar Árnason 2001–2002 - 16th general meeting: TórshavnTórshavnTórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
, 2000; president: Ole Lynge 2000–2001 - 15th general meeting: Brjánsstaðir, SkeiðahreppurSkeiða- og GnúpverjahreppurSkeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur is a small municipality in south-central Iceland.As of January 2011, it had a total population of 505 and a population density of 0.24/km². The total area is 2,231 km².-External links: http://www.skeidgnup.is/...
, 1999; president: Jógvan Durhuus 1999–2000 - 14th general meeting: IlulissatIlulissatIlulissat is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,546 as of 2010, it is the third-largest settlement in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut....
, 1998; president: Ísólfur Gylfi Pálmason 1998–1999 - 13th general meeting: ØravíkØravíkØravík is a village on the east coast of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. The village is located in the center of the island on a crossroad where the road to Fámjin goes towards west over the mountains to the west coast. One part of the village is located in the bay of Øravík, the other...
, 1997; president: Jonathan MotzfeldtJonathan MotzfeldtJonathan Motzfeldt was the first and third Prime Minister of Greenland.From 1979 to 1988, in 1997 and from 2003 to 2008, he was Chairman of the Greenland Landsting. He was prime minister twice, from 1 May 1979 to 18 March 1991 and from 19 September 1997 to 14 December 2002...
1997–1998 - 12th general meeting: Vestmannaeyjar, 1996; president: Lisbeth L. Petersen 1996–1997
- 11th general meeting: QaqortoqQaqortoqQaqortoq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With a population of 3,230 as of 2011, it is the most populous town in southern Greenland, and the fourth-largest town in the country. The name is western Greenlandic and means "[the] white [one]".- History :The area around...
, August 1995; president: Árni Johnsen 1995–1996 - Jonathan MotzfeldtJonathan MotzfeldtJonathan Motzfeldt was the first and third Prime Minister of Greenland.From 1979 to 1988, in 1997 and from 2003 to 2008, he was Chairman of the Greenland Landsting. He was prime minister twice, from 1 May 1979 to 18 March 1991 and from 19 September 1997 to 14 December 2002...
1994–1995 - Lisbeth L. Petersen 1993–1994
- Steingrímur J. SigfússonSteingrímur J. SigfússonSteingrímur Jóhann Sigfússon is an Icelandic politician and Iceland's Minister of Finance. He has been a member of the Althing since 1983 and is the founding chairman of the Left-Green Movement...
1992–1993 - Jonathan MotzfeldtJonathan MotzfeldtJonathan Motzfeldt was the first and third Prime Minister of Greenland.From 1979 to 1988, in 1997 and from 2003 to 2008, he was Chairman of the Greenland Landsting. He was prime minister twice, from 1 May 1979 to 18 March 1991 and from 19 September 1997 to 14 December 2002...
1991–1992 - Karin Kjølbro 1990–1991
- Friðjón Þórðarson 1989–1990
- Preben Lange 1988–1989
- Hans Jacob Debes 1987–1988
- Páll Pétursson 1986–1987
- 1st general meeting: NuukNuukNuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, 1985; president: Jens Lyberth 1985–1986
See also
- Hoyvík AgreementHoyvík AgreementThe Hoyvík Agreement is a free trade agreement between the Faroe Islands and Iceland that was signed 31 August 2005 in the town of Hoyvík in the Faroe Islands....
- an Iceland-Faroes free trade agreement that might be expanded to Greenland creating a West Nordic free trade zoneFree trade zoneA free trade zone or export processing zone , also called foreign-trade zone, formerly free port is an area within which goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities...
.