The aim is for the Civil Protection Department of the National Police Commissioner to issue instructions to the nation in the event of a war or in the event of a major disaster. The Foreign Minister says he is not painting the wall in a negative light but emphasizes the importance of being prepared.
The Civil Protection Department has worked on a brochure with instructions from the government on how to respond to a major disaster or disruption to infrastructure, whether caused by nature or man. The booklet is being prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir says that the booklet is based on the measures taken by the Nordic countries, which have all updated their response plans and messages to the public.
For example, Danes are encouraged to have at least three days' worth of food, water, medicine and other supplies to be prepared for a possible emergency. The Danish Ministry of Defence also set up a special disaster council last summer, which was tasked with preparing new advice for citizens on how best to prepare for an emergency.
Þorgerður Katrín says the project was carried out in close cooperation across ministries and that the aim is to have the new advice available to the public this spring.
Alongside the brochure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the National Police Commissioner and many other parties are working on projects related to, among other things, strengthening resilience, says Þorgerður Katrín.
This work is based on the NATO resilience criteria. There are seven of them and they were approved by the North Atlantic Council at its meeting in Warsaw in 2016. The criteria include ensuring stable governance, access to energy, transportation and an abundance of food and drink in the event of an emergency. In addition, they stipulate contingency plans for major shocks, mass deaths or unforeseen population movements.
Þorgerður Katrín says defence and security issues are becoming a more cumbersome issue in times like these and reiterates the importance of Iceland fulfilling its role as a link in the security chain of Western democracies. It is important that Iceland is on its toes, but there is no reason to be afraid.
All these parties, within the European Union, NATO and Western democracies are strengthening themselves, no matter where you look. The cooperation between NATO and the EU is deepening. We see that in relations with these parties, also when you read the news. It is clear that these alliances are strengthening themselves very systematically when it comes to security and defense, says Þorgerður Katrín.
I emphasize: We should not be afraid, but we should be prepared. We should prepare and be ready if something happens that we just don't foresee, she says.
Iceland an important link in the security chain of the West
She says there is no reason to paint the wall as a joke, but that Iceland's responsibility is great, just like that of all our allies.
Our responsibility as active participants in NATO and among the EFTA countries is to be ready. To be a strong and important link in this security chain that Western democracies are maintaining and strengthening, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir.
Source: Visir (in Icelandic)
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