1. Iceland’s Security: A Small State Perspective
Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir
Faculty of Political Science
University of Iceland

2. Introduction Background Traditional Icelandic Perspectives
Current Context
National Security Policy Developments
Possible regional cooperation
Policy Recommendations

3. Background “Eternally neutral” Military occupation US base
Decreasing significance
US departure
Risk assessment
Icelandic Defense Agency
National security policy

4. Traditional Icelandic Perspectives
Focused on territorial security
US territorial security
Military defenses provided via NATO and US presence
Responsibility of others
Lack of definition, planning, perspective
Societal security and politico-military security disconnected

5. Current Context US departure forces reconsideration
Revision of Act on Civil Protection
Societal security perspectives
Council on Civil Protection and Security
Planning role only
Passing of Act on Defense
Politically charged
Changes made after change in government

6. Risk Assessment and the IDA
Risk assessment started late 2007
Completed early 2009
Impact of “the Crash”
Icelandic Defense Agency set up (via Act on Defense) before completion
Political and personal disputes
Changes made 2010, IDA non-existent 1/1/11
After risk assessment a new picture of security emerges

8. Security in the Annual Budget 2012
Organization
Staff
Annual Budget (million ISK)
Coordinated Emergency Response 29
304.3
Earthquake Engineering Research Centre 10
12.4
National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police (Security and Information Processing)
n/a
1,262.4 (63.1)
ICE-SAR
123.2
Maritime Safety 59
The Icelandic Coast Guard (Air Surveillance)
180
3.115 (184.9)
The Schengen Agreement
112.1
The Post and Telecom Administration in Iceland 5
313.8
The Directorate of Health (EPI ICE)
64 (8)
547.5 (321.7)
Icelandic Met Office
159
699.3
Humanitarian and Emergency Assistance
177.5
Defense (under police, general)
527.2
Icelandic Maritime Administration maritime monitoring
282.8
Iceland Construction Authority (Construction Safety)
449.2 (385)
The Icelandic Avalanche and Landslide Fund
1276

9. National Security Policy
In fall 2011 a Parliamentary Resolution agrees to set up a commission to shape a national security policy
Members of Parliament representing all parties
Short time to complete the task, which is to hand in proposals to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
In other acts cyber security has been addressed
In public discourse economic security is often mentioned

10. Policy Recommendations
Legislature and executive need to learn from studies, not focus on politics
Linkages between civil protection and defense acts should be acknowledged
Political disputes need to be reconciled to formulate a long-standing, consistent policy

11. Conclusions Smallness is reflected in Iceland’s security
In fragmented policy, built around personal expertise situated in various agencies
In that it is reactive, relies on others to formulate policy, have vision
In that it is dependent on others – for example Nordics – in cooperating
Stoltenberg proposals popular with politicians
In that it seeks shelter within alliances and “special relationships”