Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland interested in strengthening their role in the Nordic networks – Developing the status of the tree islands can benefit the whole region
The cooperation between the Nordic states has been described as one of the most extensive regional cooperations. Exceptional governance arrangements in the area enable the participation of the three islands that do not enjoy formal statehood: the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The islands’ substantive expertise has played a decisive role in Arctic affairs and sustainability. Over the years, they have manifested their desire to develop collaboration in the Nordic networks.
The new FIIA Report, The Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland Islands in Nordic cooperation, explores the three islands and their contribution to the institutional cooperation in the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The report claims that the increased participation of the three islands in Nordic institutions results from their enhanced standing in the national and international legal framework. The shared Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2020 between Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, was important and innovative for the regions. It has been succeeded by similar solutions for the 2021 Finnish presidency, which is realised in close cooperation with Åland
The publication has been written by FIIA’s Programme Director Katja Creutz and Director Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark from the Åland Islands Peace Institute. According to the authors, so far, the Faroe Islands have appeared as the driving force for further integration into Nordic cooperation. “While Greenland and Åland have opted for a pragmatic rather than a principled approach to the matter, all three support each other’s endeavours and feel that developing their status within Nordic cooperation is desirable”, the authors write.
You can download the publication on the FIIA website:
For further information, please contact authors of the publication:
Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark
Director, ÅIPI
sia@peace.ax
Tel. +358 40 5040571
@SiaAkermark
Katja Creutz
Programme Director, FIIA
katja.creutz@fiia.fi
Tel. +358 9 432 7781
https://www.fiia.fi/en/expert/katja-creutz
@KatjaCreutz
