Nordic cooperation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID crisis and greater cooperation are among the matters under discussion during the Nordic Council’s session in Copenhagen from 1st to 4th November. The Storting is taking part with a completely new delegation.
Jorodd Asphjell (Labour Party) is the new head of the Storting’s Delegation to the Nordic Council. Photo: the Storting.
“The pandemic has put the very core of Nordic cooperation, namely the chance to move freely between the Nordic countries, to the test. The Nordic Council is working to forge even stronger ties within security and emergency preparedness in the Nordic region,” said Jorodd Asphjell (Labour Party).
Earlier this week, Mr Asphjell was elected as head of the Storting’s Delegation to the Nordic Council. He has been looking forward to meeting his Nordic colleagues in person for the first time for almost two years.
Nordic agreements must be renewed
The MPs believe that the Nordic states must learn from the failings that emerged during the pandemic so that the Nordic region is better equipped for the next crisis. The Nordic Council is therefore urging its member states’ prime ministers to work towards a new Nordic security and emergency preparedness agreement.
This year’s international guest speaker is Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary General. Mr Stoltenberg’s address was followed by a debate on defence policy in plenary session on Wednesday 3rd November.
The Nordic Council’s prizes
The winners of the Nordic Council’s prizes were announced on Tuesday 2nd November. The annual prizes aim to draw attention to literature, music, film, and climate innovation in the Nordic region.
Norway takes over the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers
Norway’s new Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, is presenting his government’s programme for the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, which Norway will assume in 2022. The programme outlines the political priorities for intergovernmental cooperation in the year ahead.
Read more about the 2021 Session of the Nordic Council
What do people think about Nordic cooperation? A recent survey
About the Nordic Council
The Nordic Council is the formal collaboration between the parliaments of the Nordic region. Its 87 members come from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
In the Nordic Council, MPs put forward policies to the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic governments with the aim of making life easier for people and businesses in the region.
The Nordic Council’s supreme body is its Ordinary Session, which takes place in the autumn. Each session is a forum at which Nordic parliamentarians can discuss and debate Nordic questions with the region’s prime ministers and other government ministers. This year’s session is the 73rd of its kind.