Iceland puts peace and international law at centre of UN agenda

Iceland will place peace and respect for international law at the centre of its work at the United Nations General Assembly, which begins today, mbl.is reports.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir and Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir will attend the opening of the 81st General Assembly in New York. Leaders from the United Nations’ 193 member states are gathering this week to discuss the main challenges facing the international community.

Frostadóttir met António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, on Monday. Guterres is soon to leave office, and a new secretary general is expected to be selected in the coming weeks. The prime minister will also attend a reception hosted by the president of the United States this evening.

“I discussed the challenges facing the countries of the world and the United Nations in our time with António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations. The secretary general thanked Iceland for its good cooperation and support, and I expressed my gratitude for his work as well,” Frostadóttir said in a statement.

“At the General Assembly, Iceland will continue to place its main emphasis on speaking for peace and respect for international law. It is in Iceland’s interests and in the interests of the whole world to strengthen the United Nations so it can safeguard the sovereign rights of all states and seek peaceful solutions to disputes,” she said.

Gunnarsdóttir said Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and human rights would feature prominently on the agenda this week.

“Iceland is taking an active part in the discussions here in New York this week and is thereby making its contribution. Although international law and the international system are under pressure, I sense a clear determination among most of the world’s states to preserve the values and institutions that have served us well for the past 80 years,” Gunnarsdóttir said.

On Monday, Frostadóttir took part in an event organised by the leaders of Brazil, Canada, Kenya and the European Union on the importance of defending international cooperation. She also delivered the closing address at a New York City side event on climate issues, which are in focus throughout the week.

Gunnarsdóttir is also among a large number of national leaders signing an appeal for companies and countries around the world to ensure transparency, safety and oversight in the development of artificial intelligence.

She met Malala Youzafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, to discuss the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.