Mr. President, distinguished members of the Council, ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour for us to attend, on behalf of the Icelandic Government, this review session. We are grateful for having the opportunity to provide the members of the Council and the delegations with information relating to the human rights situation in Iceland. The Universal Periodic Review will make, and has already made, a positive impact on the dialogue on human rights in Iceland.

Mr. President,

As laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these rights are and should be universal and inalienable. The Member States of the United Nations have a duty to support each other in this regard and we also need to have the courage to speak out when we are faced with breaches of Human Rights, and of no less importance, commend states that have taken steps to improve the lives of their citizens.

We are here today to discuss the situation of Human Rights in Iceland. In general, I think we are safe to say that the situation is reasonably good. That being said, there is of course room for improvement and we will not shy away from constructive criticism regarding our human rights situation, and indeed we want to be subjected to such criticism. We therefore look forward to the dialogue today and to receive advice and recommendations.

The Government of Iceland places great emphasis on Human Rights and we are currently working on a new and extensive Human Rights policy that will be in compliance with fundamental international Human Rights conventions and agreements.

Mr. President,

The concept of Human Rights has been developing through time and should be under constant evaluation and re-evaluation. Rights that previously were considered only to apply to certain segments of society are now declared as universal and inalienable, irrespective of race, sex, ethnicity, sexuality or class, to name a few. This does however not mean that Human Rights, although recognised in theory, are everywhere respected and implemented. Review sessions like the one today can be an important tool to enable the realisation of human rights and thus slowly but surely shift the condition of the world in this respect.

The Constitution of Iceland prescribes that Human Rights apply to all members of society and I believe there is general consent regarding this in Iceland. Nevertheless, Iceland – as any other member state – is faced with various challenges, not least after we experienced tremendous economic and socio-political turbulences and upheavals before and after a catastrophic financial crash in Iceland in the fall of 2008.

The crash was followed by the gravest demonstrations that had been seen in decades. During the protests, distrust arose between the general public and state authorities with diminished trust in conventional politics. Iceland – our geographic island – is not an island in this respect.  Demonstrations are taking place all over the world, challenging prevailing ideologies and actions of governments, multi-nationals and financial institutions etc. I mention this specifically because the right to assembly and demonstrate and the right to defend the infrastructure of welfare, is a fundamental right and must be applied universally.

The demonstrations in Iceland during 2008-2009 lead to the fall of the government and new elections two years earlier than scheduled. The new Government was faced with challenging tasks following a drastic fall in state and municipal revenues and subsequent budgetary restraints. In addition, the Government was not entirely sovereign in this task. The advent of the International Monetary Fund in Iceland had a direct and indirect effect on budgetary and fiscal governing in our country but the intermediary of the IMF proved to be a necessary precondition for inter-state loan agreements undertaken by the Icelandic government.  

Protecting Human Rights in difficult times is not only a challenge but also the most important task of any government. In recent decades a notable shift of emphasis in the context of human rights has in my opinion occured, towards defining rights with reference to market interests and ownership entitlements, sometimes at the cost of public interest. This, I think the international community should be aware of and discuss in forums like this now that a financial crisis hits the world. When faced with a choice weather to prioritise property and financial rights on the on hand and the rights of disabled persons and socially vulnerable on the other, I suggest we put the latter first.

Mr. President,

I find it important to highlight that the present Government in Iceland was formed with the specific mission of safeguarding and protecting the welfare system in times of crisis. I would like to believe that we have won small victories, although I am realistic enough to see that our success has not been complete. Budgetary cuts always have an impact on the provision of services and consequently peoples' lives. However, by constantly drawing attention to the effect budgetary restraint has on the welfare systems and vulnerable groups in society, the negative impact can be reduced.

The general trend in times of crisis is to direct budget cuts towards public services, such as the health-, welfare- and educational-sectors, while at the same time demands are made on governments to create jobs in other sectors, such as in transport and the construction industries. This has a gendered aspect as the tendency is to create jobs for men while women are driven away from the labour market. This tendency we have indeed experienced in Iceland.

However, I am happy to say that the Government has been aware of these dangers and has taken special measures to avoid this pattern developing, by e.g. initiating gender response budgeting. At the same time a governmental body; the Welfare Watch, was established to systematically monitor the social and financial consequences of the economic condition of families and individuals and propose measures to meet the needs of households. The Welfare Watch and the Debtors Ombudsman have prooved to be useful instituions in dealing with the unavoidable consequences of the financial crisis.

Despite difficulties for individuals and households it should be noted that comparative studies have shown that the financial crisis in 2008 has not had direct negative impact on how children in Iceland in general feel. It has further been reported that in their own words children in Iceland are on average pleased and happy, notably more so than before the crisis, which might indicate that the market- and moneydriven livestyle did not necessarily serve the well-being of children.

However, children who were vulnerable before the crisis are considered to be at a higher risk now, which remains an important challenge for the Government and society in general. At the same time it is of uttermost importance to further monitor the situation systematically to prevent long-term, negative consequences of the crisis.

Mr. President,

Despite difficult times, the Icelandic Government is not only protective and reactive when it comes to human rights. On the contrary the Government has taken important steps to improve the rights of individuals and groups. As an example, the Parliament of Iceland unanimously adopted in 2010 legislation that provides for a gender-neutral definition of marriage, ensuring the same legal status for heterosexual and same-sex married couples. The bill enjoys wide support among the Icelandic public, and attitudes are generally supportive towards gays and lesbians as can be seen in the annual gay-pride festival that attracts tens of thousands to Reykjavík's city centre – and is generally considered a family-event. Important steps are also being taken to improve the legal status of transgender people. 

However, equal legal status does not ensure equality. This is well known among minority groups such as the gay and lesbian community and ethnic and religious minorities. I would like to mention another group in this respect, which cannot be referred to as a minority group, in light of the fact that they represent half of mankind. I am of course talking about women.

Today, women are still faced with discrimination in all countries of the world in spite of formidable legislation intended to prevent just that. Promoting gender equality and ensuring that women and men enjoy equal rights and status in all respects has been a key priority of the government of Iceland. We have been successful in many areas of gender equality as has been reflected in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report where Iceland has been ranked first for the last two years. Although Icelandic women's participation in the formal labour market is among the highest in the world and they are well educated, the gender pay gap remains persistant.

What is of an even greater concern is the fact that women are faced with violence based on their gender and here, Iceland is no exception. It is simply unacceptable that gender-based violence, domestic violence and rape are tolerated in any society. And in this regard Governments do not only have a duty to create a just and fair legal framework, they also have a positive obligation to fight against this violence – as any other form of violence – with all means. Thanks to the unselfish work of the Icelandic women's movement, sexual violence and domestic violence is not hidden away in Iceland. The uncomfortable and ugly reality of such violence is openly discussed, which is the first step towards dealing with the problem. We are doing our uttermost to stimulate and encourage this development.

It is noted in the national report that only a small proportion of rape victims file charges and few of them lead to indictments or convictions. As Minister of the Interior I have initiated a comprehensive consultation process between representatives of the judiciary, police, prosecutors, civil socieity orgnisations and victims associations, regarding the treatment of rape cases in the judicial system. The results – ranging from suggestions on consultative meetings between hospital rape crisis centers, police and prosecutos to detailed academic research prjoects – are multifarious and the recommendations are being followed up. The Government has established a special task force to deal with human trafficking and maximum penalties for such crimes have been increased. Furhtermore, Parliament has passed an Act that criminalises the purchasing of prostitution and strip clubs are now illegal in Iceland. These are all important steps in eliminating violence and discrimination against women.

Regarding violence against children, Iceland is  now in the process of ratifying the Europen Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitationand Sexual Abuse. As noted in the national report, the Government Agency for Child Protection operates The Children's House, which has become a model internationally for a child friendly justice environment. It has also contributed to more numerous complaints, prosecutions and convictions for acts of sexual violence against children.

However, preventive measures have not been sufficiently systematic but I have placed particular focus on ensuring improvement in that area in connection with the ratification of the aforementioned agreement in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.

Mr. President,

Protecting human rights is not only a domestic issue but also an important aspect of Iceland's foreign policy or so we want it to be. We want our development policy to be rooted in the fundamental rights of all people as set out in the Charter of the United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals. Emphasis is placed on supporting the efforts made by Governments in developing countries to eradicate poverty and hunger and to promote economic and social development, including human rights, education, improved health, gender equality, sustainable development and the sustainable use of resources.

Mr. President,

The issue of Human rights is an issue far beyond the scope of a short speech as this. I have nevertheless tried to address certain issues that are important to have constantly on the agenda, domestically and internationally.

There is an Icelandic saying Glöggt er gests augað, which can be translated as: The guest has a sharp eye, referring to the fact that a visitor can often notice things that residents cannot. This can be applied to all spheres of society – injustice may take place in our backyard without us noticing. In this respect, international cooperation for human rights is an important factor in implementing and ensuring global and universal human rights.

There are useful examples of this in the case of Iceland, as the guidance of the UN human rights treaties have proved to have a positive effect on human rights protection of Icelandic citizens. An example of this are the recommendations of the Committee on the rights of the Child that have had a positive effect on legal protection of children in Iceland; and guidance from the CEDAW Committee has helped to turn the spotlight on women's rights. In addition guidance and encouragement from UN treaty bodies on specific matters have helped to discern systematic aspects of Icelandic society in a new light, such as the management of the fisheries system in Iceland – a system which is now under a comprehensive review.

As I thank you for your attention I would like to emphasise that the Icelandic delegation looks forward to the important and constructive dialogue we will have today.

                                      Thank you!