At a Crossroads: Iceland in the International System 2025

At a Crossroads: Iceland in the International System is an annual conference organised by the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the Nordic House, in collaboration with the Institute for Public Administration and Politics at the University of Iceland and the Icelandic Political Science Association.

The conference will take place in the Nordic House on Friday, April 11.

As in previous years, we invite you to join a discussion where we delve into international affairs and the various challenges facing the global community today. Come and be part of the conversation!

We promise lively and insightful discussions. Everyone is welcome! Register here

Programme

10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome

Pia Hansson, Director of the Institute of International Affairs at University of Iceland

Sabina Westerholm, Director of the Nordic House

10:10 – 10:30 | Opening Address

Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland (2016–2024), Professor of History, University of Iceland, and Chair of the Board, Institute of International Affairs

10:30 – 12:00 | The Shifting Global Order: Iceland’s Foreign Policy in an Era of Great Power Rivalries (In Icelandic)

Panel Discussion: Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Iceland’s Senior Arctic Official, Bjarni Már Magnússon, Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Law at Bifröst University, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Former Director of OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Pawel Bartoszek, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Icelandic Parliament, Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir, Professor, Faculty of Political Science at the University of Iceland

Short remarks: Baldur Þórhallsson, Professor, Faculty of Political Science at University of Iceland and Research Director at the Centre for Small State Studies, Marc Lanteigne, Professor of Political Science at UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø (In English)

Moderator: Pia Hansson, Director of the Institute of International Affairs, University of Iceland

12:00 – 12:30 | Light Lunch

12:30 – 13:00 | The Rollback of Human Rights: Financing of the Anti-Rights Movement

Hólmfríður Anna Baldursdóttir, Specialist at the Development Cooperation Office at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in conversation with Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights

13:00 – 14:00 | Safeguarding Human Rights and Inclusive Development

Bjarndís Helga Tómasdóttir, Chairperson of Samtökin ‘78, the National Queer Association of Iceland, Gyða Margrét Pétursdóttir, Professor of Gender Studies at the Faculty of Political Science at University of Iceland, Helen Inga Von Ernst, Head of Human Rights at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Stella Samúelsdóttir, Executive Director of UN Women Iceland, Neil Datta, Executive Director, European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Moderator: Svanhildur Þorvaldsdóttir, Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Science at the University of Iceland, and Chair of the Icelandic Political Science Association

14:00 – 14:20 | Coffee Break

14:20 – 15:30 | Building Nordic–Baltic Resilience to Hybrid Threats

Opening remarks: Elżbieta Drążkiewicz, Researcher at the Division of Ethnology at Lund University and Project leader of the Nordic Disinformation Resilience Network, Margarita Šešelgytė, Director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University

Panel Discussion: Auðunn Arnórsson, Political Scientist at Reykjavik Academy, Elżbieta Drążkiewicz, Project leader of the Nordic Disinformation Resilience Network, Erlingur Erlingsson, Foreign policy, defence and government relations specialist, Finnbogi Jónasson, Detective Chief Inspector at The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, Hulda Þórisdóttir, Professor, Faculty of Political Science at the University of Iceland

Moderator: Ingólfur Bjarni Sigfússon, Editor of Kveikur, RÚV

15:30 – 15:45 | Coffee Break

15:45 – 16:45 | Where to and Why? Iceland’s Role in the International System – Representatives of Political Parties Discuss Iceland’s Foreign Policy (in Icelandic)

Eyjólfur Ármannsson, Minister of Infrastructure and MP for the People’s Party, Njáll Trausti Friðbertsson, MP for the Independence Party, Sigmar Guðmundsson, MP for the Liberal Reform Party Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, MP and Chairman of the Progressive Party, Víðir Reynisson, MP for the Social Democratic Alliance, Representative from the Centre Party (TBC).

Moderator: Elín Margrét Böðvarsdóttir, Journalist, Channel 2, Vísir, and Bylgjan

16:45 – 17:00 | Closing Remarks

17:00 – 18:30 | Reception and Stand-Up Performance by Vigdís Hafliðadóttir