1 Crisis Management Screening Iceland Chapter 31, Foreign, Security and Defence Policy – Bilateral Brussels, 20 May 2011

2 Common Objectives Iceland shares the objectives of the EU in crisis management and conflict prevention Iceland party to major policy declarations by the UN, OSCE and NATO Promotion of peace and stability, human rights and gender equality, post conflict assistance and support of civil society Iceland active in Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa. Icelandic – EU Framework Agreement on Crisis Management 2005

3 Iceland's Crisis Management Under MFA´s Directorate for International Development Cooperation Participation in Crisis Management organised by the MFA´s Iceland Crisis Response Unit (ICRU) Direct financial contributions to the ICRU 11% of ODA Important part of Iceland's foreign policy and external relations Part of the Strategy for Iceland's Development Cooperation 2011 – 2014

4 Strategy for Iceland's Development Cooperation

5 History 1950sFirst assignments 1994 Active participation 2001 ICRU established as a unit within the MFA 2004ICRU made a department within the MFA 2007 Act No 73 on ICRU and its Participation in International Crisis Response Act No 121 on Iceland's International Development Cooperation.

6 Act 73/2007 on ICRU, Art. 1 (1) “The Ministry for Foreign Affairs may participate in international crisis response schemes and send civilian experts on crisis response assignments for that purpose. Crisis response assignments include, among other things, the following operations: –a. Participation in assignments to ensure stability and to work with the inhabitants of conflict zones. –b. Assignments to support political and economic development with the aim of achieving lasting peace.

7 Act 73/2007 on ICRU, Art. 1 (2) –c. Assignments to support the development of infrastructure of society after armed conflict has ended, e.g. in the fields of administration, supply networks and telecommunications. –d. Participation in preventive projects conceived to avert armed conflict in unstable areas. Assignments of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit may never contravene the provisions of humanitarian and human rights conventions.”

8 Selection of Seconded Experts Diverse Professions –Human rights experts, police officers, coast guard officers, health personnel, gender experts, public information officers Applications through the MFA website Stand-by roster, response list Selection based on project requirements Assessment by ICRU and in consultation with partner organisations

9 Training and Seminars Briefing on ICRU operations and history, laws and Code of Conduct, by MFA Working in security situations, by the State Commissioner for Police/Icelandic Coast Guard Specialised training (logistics, communications etc.) by WFP Gender awareness, by UNIFEM/UN Women Participation in training courses given by European partners NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany Multinational Civil-Military Cooperation Capability (CIMIC) Group, Motta di Livenza, Italy

10 Gender Policies Action Plan for the implementation of UNSC resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Evaluation –Main focus: Increased women's participation in decision making and peace processes Protection of women and girls in conflict zones Integration of gender perspectives and gender education into peacekeeping Gender budgeting assessment of the ICRU Gender ratio in ICRU expert positions: 45% female Gender equality achieved in election monitoring in 2010

11 Civilian Experts in the Field : Gender Ratio

12 ICRU Participation in Various Missions since 2001 Kosovo: KFOR, Council of Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina: UNPROFOR, EUPM Macedonia: EU’s Concordia Serbia: UNIFEM Afghanistan: ISAF, UNIFEM Iraq: EOD team, NATO Training Mission Lebanon: SRSA, UNMAS, UNIFIL, UNRWA Sri Lanka: SLMM Liberia: UN DPKO, UNIFEM Sudan: UNICEF, WFP

13 Pristina Airport, Kosovo Management of the Slatina Airport in Pristina 10 – 12 ICRU personnel active at any given time Training of air traffic control personnel Preparing the handover to the UN and the Kosovo Authorities First major task of the ICRU

14 Iraq and Lebanon Iraq –Icelandic Coast Guard Explosives Disposal (EOD) Team active in the field 2003 and 2004 in cooperation with the Danish Military –Public information Officers (PIOs) assigned to the NATO Training Mission (NTM-I) in Bagdad Lebanon –Icelandic Coast Guard Explosives Disposal (EOD) Team working with the Swedish Rescue Services Agency (SRSA) and the UNMAC/ UN Mine in Lebanon in 2007 and 2008 Focus on destroying cluster bombs.

15 Administration of Kabul International Airport (KAIA) Iceland focal point for operations Responsible for the administration and running of KAIA under ISAF Positions included Commander of KAIA, Fire Chief, Air Operations and heads of major support functions More than 20 employees at KAIA at any given time

16 Mobile Liaison and Observation Teams in Afghanistan Icelandic Mobile Liaison and Observation Teams (MLOTs) in Northern and Western Afghanistan 2005 – 2007 Up to 20 personnel active at any given time In the Norwegian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Maymanah in Fahryab Province In the Lithuanian-led PRT in Chagcharan in Ghor Province Tasks included –Assisting with reconstruction in remote rural areas –Assisting with the coordination of humanitarian and emergency aid and providing information to international relief organisations –Cooperation with local authorities and police

17 Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Nordic monitoring role Monitoring cease fire agreement since 2002 Report violations of the agreement Establish dialogue between partners and settle disputes on a local level 10 Icelandic positions in SLMM Termination of SLMM in 2008

18 Liberia DPKO UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Police Section Two Icelandic policemen at any given time Tasks –Law enforcement capacity building –Training of the Liberian National Police –Participation in Donor Aid Coordination Team –Participation in Investigation Advisory Unit –Working with Emergency Response Unit

19 Present Deployment Afghanistan –Civilian experts to the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) –Support functions, policy, development and long term capacity building Middle East –Various positions with UN Agencies Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia –Long term cooperation with UNIFEM/UN Women on gender issues. –Cooperation with the OSCE on election monitoring.

20 Some Focus Areas Development and long term capacity building Health care and sanitary issues Law enforcement Media and public information Policy and management Gender issues Election monitoring

21 Civilian Experts in 2010 by Organisation

22 Afghanistan Office of the Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) of NATO´s Secretary General: Director for Political Affairs Office of the Commander of ISAF (COMISAF): Deputy Director for Development ISAF DCOS Stability Division: Social Development Expert, Gender Advisor Head of Personnel Service in the base at the Kabul International Airport (KAIA) Deputy Commander Base Support Group, KAIA Icelandic Development Advisors in the Norwegian-led PRT in Maymanah and the Lithuanian-led PRT in Chagcharan 2005 until 2010

23 Middle East The occupied Palestinian territories –Management Officer with UNRWA HQ in Amman, Jordan –Management Officer with UNWRA in Beirut, Lebanon. –Advisor on Displacement at the UNRWA Protection Team in Jerusalem –Health care specialist with UNICEF in Jerusalem –Disaster Management expert with OCHA, Jerusalem Yemen and Pakistan: –Emergency Information Officers with UNICEF

24 The Balkans Experts with UNIFEM/UN Women Regional Programme –Cooperation since 1999 –Gender Advisors in Serbia –Gender Advisors in Bosnia-Herzegovina –Promote the third MDG on gender equality and the empowerment of women

25 Election Monitoring with the OSCE Participation in monitoring with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human rights (ODIHR) Participation in short and long term observation –Albania, Armenia, Azerbadjan, Belarus, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgizstan, Moldova, Serbia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. –Macedonia in June 2011.

26 Iceland-EU Cooperation on Peace-keeping and Crisis Management Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Iceland establishing a framework for the participation of the Republic of Iceland in the European Union crisis-management from 21st February 2005 The basis for the cooperation of Iceland and EU in the field of peace-keeping and crisis management operations

27 Participation in CONCORDIA 2003 Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Iceland on the participation of the Republic of Iceland in the European Union Force (EUF) in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (CONCORDIA), from 3rd July 2003 until end of 2003 Civilian information expert to CONCORDIA

28 Participation in EUPM Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Iceland on the participation of the Republic of Iceland in the European Union Police Mission (EUPM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), from 10th December 2002 Two policemen at any given time to the EUPM –Tasks War crimes investigations Fighting organised crime

29 PRESENT ELECTION MONITORING DPKO-UNMIL Liberia UNIFEM/UN Women/EU/ Council of Europe Bosnia–Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo ISAF Kabul Afghanistan OCHA/UNRWA/UNICEF oPt, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Sudan OSCE Election Monitoring Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Belarus, Kirgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine UNICEF Yemen, Pakistan FINISHED Crisis Management Operations

30 Ministry for Foreign Affairs EU Application Website