YouSaid · the spoken record

Ossur Skarpheoinsson

lines on the record: 39
first: 2009-09-24
most recent: 2011-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It will, perhaps, not come as any surprise to Members here, but Iceland will therefore vote “yes”, when a resolution on Palestinian statehood comes to a vote in the General Assembly. Furthermore, the Icelandic Government is determined to fully recognize Palestine and will next week submit to the Parliament of Iceland a resolution on the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign and independent State.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“That is 5 11-51390 unjust. That is against every moral code that Iceland has ever stood for as a guardian of human rights. We must remember that Palestine today is really doing just the same thing as Israel did in 1947, and Iceland and so many other States at the time supported Israel’s action. Israel took its case to the United Nations and emerged with statehood. Palestine deserves the same. And I think it is hypocrisy to suggest otherwise. In the middle of the democratic revolution brought on by the fresh breeze of the Arabic Spring and inspired, not least, by women and young people, it would be foolish to deny Palestine its right to statehood. Such denial would act against reconciliation in the region.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Based on the same principle that led Iceland to recognize the Baltic States in 1991, today we support the Palestinian struggle for statehood. Based on that very same principle, Iceland feels that the international community should welcome Palestine as a new Member State in the United Nations, based on the pre-1967 borders — exactly the same criteria as those laid down by the European Union, the Quartet and lately, also by President Barack Obama in his strong speech in May. I have been to Gaza. I have talked to the people: the fishermen who no longer can ply their trade, the young people who are unemployed, the families that need a roof over their head. I have also been to the West Bank. I have seen with my own eyes how the land of the Palestinians has literally been cut to pieces by horrible walls of separation. That is wrong.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The great British statesman, Lord Palmerston, once made a famous statement to the effect that there is no such thing as eternal friendship between nations and that only eternal interests could determine how nations reacted towards each other. That well-known mantra is still taught today in every bad school of political science. My friends, if Palmerston’s words had prevailed, Iceland would have turned a deaf ear to the call of the freedom fighters in the Baltics. We did not. In the historic year of 1991, Iceland became the first to recognize the restored sovereignty of the Baltic States. We did that out of respect for the principles that are so vitally important to small nations: the right to choose your own destiny, to carve out your own future — the undeniable right of small nations to be independent. Principles do matter in politics.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We should not allow the exploitation of the Arctic without applying the strictest rules. That must be the precondition for every human move into Arctic resources. I am often asked whether a country like Iceland, which is not geographically small but has, admittedly, slightly fewer people than most, can have any say in action on issues of global concern, be it in Rio or in New York. Well, to lift a phrase from a famous statesman who spoke from this very podium a few days ago: “Yes, we can”. Twenty years ago, in 1991, we in Iceland watched a television broadcast of thousands of brave Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians taking their destiny into their own hands. They reached out to the international community, among them the people of Iceland, and asked for help in breaking the ice that was impeding their international recognition.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“It is of course true that the disappearance of the sea ice will open up new and shorter transport routes from the Pacific to the North Atlantic via the Arctic Ocean. We most certainly will also see huge areas open up for the exploitation of oil and gas resources. This will come at a price, however. Climatic changes are forcing the peoples of the Arctic, such as our neighbours in Greenland, to change their living habits. These changes will also melt the tundra, which acts as a carbon buffer against the climate system, and thus further accelerate the warming of the planet. The already-fragile ecosystem of the Arctic will become even more brittle. Let us remember what happened in the Gulf of Mexico and let us be aware that oil breaks down very, very slowly in the extreme cold of the Arctic.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“As we speak, the acidification of the oceans resulting from human carbon emissions is affecting the health of the marine environment. This is especially true in the Arctic and its vicinity, which is my home. As a marine biologist, I fear that, more likely sooner than later, this may affect the world’s fishing stocks, which are a vital source of protein for more than 1 billion people. This is just one more argument why we so urgently need to conclude a post-Kyoto agreement later this year on the reduction of greenhouse gases. Every day, the Arctic bears silent witness to the impact of climate change. The snow that I experienced as a child is today fast becoming a rare event for my two teenage daughters. The sad truth is that the Arctic glaciers and the Arctic sea ice are melting at a much faster rate than anyone ever anticipated.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“That splendid form of renewable energy is the most undervalued and overlooked source of cheap power in the world. Of course, geothermal is most 11-51390 4 certainly not a silver bullet, but it needs to be a part of the portfolio that we must develop to solve emissions problems. Many members know that Central and South America, East Africa and South-East Asia are home to vast areas literally brimming with geothermal potential. Icelandic know-how, coupled with outside financing, could go a long way in making those areas self- sufficient in terms of green energy. As one of the largest fishing nations, Iceland has always been deeply protective of the health of the oceans. Today, climate change threatens to place the fisheries of the world under a new strain.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“But the Assembly also knows the sobering truth, which is that the ambitions of Rio are still a far cry from being realized. Actions are still needed. If ever there was a time to act boldly, that time is now. The key theme of Rio next year will be the “green economy”. I assure the Assembly that my country has expertise to offer that can help to fuel a green revolution. Renewable energy, marine health, the sustainable use of land and, not least, gender equality, which have always been at the core of the Icelandic foreign policy, are the four issues that we shall bring to Rio next year. What we really need is indeed a revolution, a green revolution. We need a seismic shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. That is the only way to turn the ship. In Iceland, we have some cutting-edge technology on geothermal energy that we want to share.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I am quite happy to be able to tell the Assembly today that the Icelandic Parliament has unanimously agreed to substantially increase our contribution to developing nations in the coming financial year. It has also accepted a plan to raise our aid to the goal of 0.7 per cent of our gross national income. That is our pledge, as agreed by every political party in the Icelandic Parliament. The fight against hunger and poverty is the same struggle as the one we wage to protect our planet from the ravages caused by the greed of our own species. All Members know that, next year, we will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the bright new vision introduced at the historic Earth Summit in Rio. Over these past 20 years, deep concern for the environment has indeed moved to the forefront of the global agenda.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Let me start by congratulating His Excellency Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his election as President of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly, and assuring him that he will have the fullest cooperation of the Icelandic delegation. In recent weeks, we have witnessed the worst hunger crisis of this century in the Horn of Africa. It is a devastating reminder that fighting poverty and hunger is still the most important and challenging undertaking of our times. Our collective duty and responsibility is to help our weakest brothers and sisters. As wealthier nations, we must do better in providing relief. We must act with more speed and more generosity to help those who are deprived of the basic necessities of life — food and water. I can say, my friends, that in Iceland, we have indeed decided to do so.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The same happened with regard to Croatia, Slovenia and later Montenegro. And today Iceland is not afraid to stand up for the Palestinian people either. Every nation has a duty to defend human rights. Every nation has a duty to speak up. That is no less true for Palestine, where human rights are broken — especially in Gaza — every day.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Yesterday, we heard President Obama urge patience, but we also heard a hidden hope in his words. Well, we know that sometimes dreams come true. Sometimes the unexpected happens. Sometimes we even have miracles. We in Iceland will, of course, strongly support the resumed direct talks, and let us all hope and pray for a solution that will allow us, as soon as possible, to welcome the independent State of Palestine as the 193rd member of the United Nations family. In the meantime, all of us should use every possible, sensible way to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Palestine. My country, Iceland, was not afraid to stand up and be counted on behalf of the people in the Baltic States almost 20 years ago, when Iceland was the first country to break the ice and recognize their independence.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We now have the results of the experts, mandated by the Human Rights Council, who concluded that Israel broke international law by attacking the flotilla bringing humanitarian assistance to Gaza last spring. Iceland has strongly condemned the raid. It drew a strong reaction from Icelandic society at large. I can tell the Assembly that the Icelandic nation is deeply sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians, held in occupation by an oppressing Power. As I speak, we have Icelandic humanitarian workers being held up in Israel, trying to bring prosthetic feet to people in Gaza who have lost their limbs, people that urgently need assistance. This is not acceptable to Iceland. This is not acceptable to the world. This is inhuman and unjust, and we urge Israel not to prevent humanitarian assistance from reaching the needy in Gaza.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“They do, however, lack the geothermal expertise and the finances for the infrastructure. Iceland, therefore, has formally engaged in discussions with some of the big nations operating, for example, in East Africa to form a partnership for a geothermal drive in countries with unused potential. Iceland would put up the expertise, the partners the necessary financing. This initiative could enable some countries to escape from energy poverty, industrialize without undue emissions and embark on the road to prosperity. I have spent almost this entire speech of mine tonight talking about human rights in one form or another, and human rights cannot be debated without discussing the plight of the Palestinians and the people of Gaza.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We already meet 80 per cent of our energy needs through renewables, and that is far higher than any other nation can claim. We have campaigned for a new global climate fund with the goal of financing the transfer of green technologies to developing countries. But we in Iceland also want to contribute in another way. As the Assembly knows, we have not been able to stop the volcanoes in Iceland from erupting with huge clouds of ash, but we have learned to harness the fierce power of the fire beneath, and put it to use as geothermal energy. Geothermal by itself, of course, will not solve all the climate problems, but in some parts of the world it could make a huge difference. In East Africa, the utilization of geothermal potential could free the people of several nations from the bondage of energy poverty.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“All this is aggravated by the limitless use of fossil fuels that is literally tipping the delicate balance of nature. We, the wealthy nations of the world, are therefore paying for the quality of our good life with the human rights of others. If we do not take drastic action, more radical action than what was agreed in Copenhagen, future generations will see ours as serial offenders against the human rights of peoples in need. At the same time, millions of people lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation. It is a firm position of my Government that the right to safe drinking water and basic sanitation should be recognized as a human right, essential for the real and full enjoyment of life and all other human rights. In the fight against climate change, Iceland tries to lead by example.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“President Ahmadinejad, on behalf of the Icelandic people, I ask you to spare Ashtiani. When we address the looming dangers of climate change, human rights are also at stake. Climate change will wreak havoc on the lives of a great number of people. It will erode what we as an international community have defined as their basic human rights. Let me take three different examples. The small island nations in the Pacific are threatened by rising sea levels to such an extent that whole nations might be forced to leave the land of their forebears — Kiribati, for instance. The floods in Pakistan caused death to many and devastation to tens of millions of people. The 10-54965 54 melting of the Arctic ice may prevent my neighbours, the Inuits, from pursuing their traditional lifestyle based on hunting on the ice.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Well done, United Nations, you deserve a big pile of thanks for your vision and for your courage. I can state that Iceland will be a strong supporter of UN Women, just as we have been through the transitional phase. There is also, I believe, another cause for this Assembly to celebrate, and that is the fact that next month we will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000). This has been a priority of the foreign policy of Iceland. Let the nations of the United Nations come together to celebrate by increasing the participation of women in peace negotiations. Empowering women is empowering society. But it is exactly with reference to women’s rights that we have learned with utter sadness about the decision of Iranian courts to stone to death an Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We are also proud of having legally ensured full equality for same-sex partnerships, and we strongly urge other nations to remove all discrimination based on sexual orientation. As the Assembly knows, our foreign policy has always reflected the high priority we place on gender equality. This year, we celebrate 95 years since women first gained the right to vote and 30 years ago since a woman was first elected President in Iceland. As members saw for themselves, with their own eyes, when the Icelandic Prime Minister spoke here this week, the Icelandic Government is now led by a woman. In New York, we also have cause to celebrate. Iceland for years has supported a new and consolidated United Nations gender entity, and, look, today it is a reality.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“We are blessed with ample resources in the form of fish in the ocean, the fierce power of our waterfalls and geothermal geysers and a pristine natural environment that supports a flourishing tourism sector. Economic growth is, finally, returning to Iceland. I am therefore very happy to inform the Assembly that, this summer, the International Monetary Fund declared that, technically, the recession in Iceland is over. I want to use this opportunity to thank Member States for their support and their understanding. The crisis turned our eyes back to what really matters in life, the core values of democracy and human rights. At home, we have taken important steps to change the Constitution to increase the people’s power.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“And we needed the helping hand of our close family in the North, the Nordic nations, not least the Faroese, and our friends the Poles, in the form of currency loans, just to prevent our society from melting down. Now we have swallowed the bitter medicine of fiscal cuts and radical financial reforms. We have embarked on close cooperation with the International Monetary Fund. And Iceland has now applied for membership of the European Union, on which the Icelandic people will decide in a referendum in due course. A specially appointed prosecutor is now handling the cases of bankers who allegedly broke the law, and this week, parliament in Iceland is debating whether to prosecute former ministers. So we took firm, decisive action. Well, I can tell you, the medicine worked. Iceland is pulling through. We are finally on the road to recovery.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Let me start by congratulating His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss on his election to the presidency at the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, and assuring him of the fullest cooperation of the Icelandic delegation. When I spoke for the first time from this distinguished rostrum last year, my country was ravaged by financial crisis. It left Iceland with a total collapse of the entire banking system. Our financial crisis was exacerbated by the worldwide recession, but I have to tell you, honestly, that to a large extent it was made in Iceland. It was the product of a system that embraced the neo-liberalistic view of rampant capitalism with lax regulations. Economic emergency laws had to be passed.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Our geopolitical position in the Arctic and our cohabitation with its dangers and beauty for more than a thousand years can be of great value in striking the right balance between a fragile ecosystem in the Arctic and the use of its resources. It is true that the crisis destroyed financial assets, but Iceland’s real assets — natural resources, human 35 09-52592 capital and social welfare — remain intact. That is why I am so confident when I say that although Iceland was the first to fall victim to the global financial crisis, it is already on the road to recovery.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“To sum up, I have talked about my nation’s financial difficulties, but I have also said that we are pulling through, not least because we have been able to seek the advice and support of the international community. Of course, Iceland is a small nation, but I have also described how, even though we are a small nation, we have much to offer that could contribute to the solution of some of the problems that, together, the world is facing today. Our expertise in the geothermal field, for example, can be of vital importance in the face of the climate crisis, and our experience in sustainable fishing can be instrumental in staving off the depletion of fishing stocks.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Only 15 minutes ago, I heard the Foreign Minister of India state that one of the greatest goals of the Indian Government was to support that development. Even though Iceland is a little bit smaller than India, I would add its weight to that goal. We really must pursue it as strongly as we can, and I am grateful to the United Nations for providing the framework for that. There have also been other happy events for me, as a newcomer to this Assembly, during my first days here. I found it invigorating to hear President Barack Obama boldly describe his vision of a peace agreement in the Middle East based on the two-State solution and the cessation of all settlements. I believe that his strong declaration has created a fresh political momentum that we who are assembled here and the Governments of this world must not allow to fade away.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We thank all representatives for those important steps, and I urge the Secretary-General to move forward on that matter as expeditiously as possible. The other cause that I wish to mention as a reason for my gratitude is the unanimous decision of the Security Council earlier this week to call for global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear arms and to boost disarmament (Security Council resolution 1887 (2009)). I remember when I was a very young editor in Reykjavik in 1986, when President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev descended on the capital of Iceland. That historic meeting really signalled the end of the cold war. I will never forget that at that time, for the first time in my life, a world free of the nuclear nightmare became a workable goal, and that goal must be vigorously pursued.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“I want especially to take two examples from a great many that I could relate. Iceland and my Government have always strongly endorsed the rights of women. In particular, we have taken to heart Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on the rights of women, of women in the world to take part and be active in the peace processes in war-torn regions. I wish to remind the Assembly that next year is the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) and to take this opportunity to urge the United Nations to actively use that anniversary to promote the role of women as peacemakers all over the world. I would add that in that context, the unanimous decision of the General Assembly to create a new United Nations composite gender entity, to be headed by a special Under-Secretary-General (resolution 63/311), was also very helpful.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As is known, Iceland’s track record in the sustainable management of fishing stocks is second to none. In that, as in the geothermal field, we also have technological expertise that we are willing and would like to share. In that respect, I am also happy to say that despite Iceland’s current financial woes, we have ensured that the UNU Fisheries Training Programme in Iceland is fully funded. It is available to Member States, and I would be very happy for them to take us up on that offer. During the course of this week, I have heard many speakers criticize the United Nations, but I would like to use the occasion of my first speech to this Assembly to praise the work of the Organization. In many fields, it has done well in times when the odds have really been heavily stacked against it.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The Arctic also possesses the most fragile ecosystem of the world, and it will be a real challenge to strike the right balance between the fragile environment and the use of 09-52592 34 its resources. In Iceland, we believe that it is very important to address those challenges regionally through the Arctic Council and that any territorial claims — which we have already seen emerge in the news — should to be settled on the basis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Climate changes are also likely to have considerably negative effects on the fishing stocks of the world. Representatives would know better than me that more than a billion people, 95 per cent of whom live in developing countries, depend on fish as their main source of protein.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Iceland, the only State that lies entirely within the Arctic region, has therefore designated the Arctic as one of the main areas of her foreign policy. Science tells us, and we can read about it in the news, that soon a great part of the Arctic Ocean might be ice- free at the end of summer. This is a development that we have not experienced in our lifetimes, and it bears both good and bad tidings. If it happens soon, it will open a pathway for transportation between the Pacific and the Atlantic via the Arctic Ocean, with great benefits to trade. For better or worse, it will also facilitate access to vitally important resources in the Arctic. However, here we must tread very carefully.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Many of these countries could, with the geothermal expertise that countries such as Iceland have, achieve a real transformation to clean energy; some could even become self-sustaining in terms of energy. But, of course, as always, what we need is finance. What we really need is a global climatic fund to transfer renewable technologies to developing countries to enable them to continue growing on a sustainable, renewable basis. The expertise we have developed in Iceland is available, and I would like to add that, despite our present financial difficulties, we have ensured that the geothermal training programme of the United Nations University in Iceland remains open and fully funded, as it has been for the past 25 years. Climate change is also producing drastic effects in the Arctic.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“A generation ago, we were as dependent on imported fossil fuel as any other nation in the world. Today, a generation later, 80 per cent of our energy needs are met by renewables. All our heating, all our electricity is 100 per cent renewable. What we did was to use the treasures that we had not realized were under our feet and before our eyes, in the form of rivers — we used hydro and geothermal power. And I maintain that what we did, others can also do. I want especially to focus attention on the vastly underestimated possibilities of geothermal energy. Many of the countries of the African Rift Valley have similar potential to that of Iceland. In South-East Asia we have the greatest geothermal potential in the world, and in Latin America there is also valuable potential.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“I believe that the best way to give justice to the people of Kiribati, to the people of the nations in the South Pacific and elsewhere, and to the generations of the future, is that we together put all our effort into reaching a decision on a legally binding agreement in Copenhagen that will strike at the core of this problem. I also believe that the best way to convince the sceptics to take that step is to highlight the success stories that we have. We have to show the sceptics that our goals are realistic and that we can achieve them. I remind the Assembly that at the beginning of the general debate we heard President Lula present the success story of Brazil in terms of the sustainable use of energy resources that they have achieved. Allow me to take this opportunity to tell the success story of Iceland in this regard.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Earlier in the week I had the privilege and honour to take part in the high-level Summit on Climate Change. It touched my heart when I heard the President of Kiribati describe the plight of his country, which might literally be obliterated from the face of the earth without his nation being responsible for it in any way. This is due to the drastic climate change that the whole world is facing. The President of Kiribati asked for the only thing that every human and every nation on earth really deserves: he asked for justice.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“That is due to the resilience and hard work of the Icelandic people, but also because you, the international community, lent us some very important support in the hour of our greatest need. The salient point is this. In a globalized world, we have to tackle problems together, globally. We need to fight together the corruption that contributed to the international recession; we must work together to ensure that the financial czars are not allowed to speculate again with people’s lives; we have to work together to obliterate the tax havens they used and we also need to lock arms to create a sound global regulatory framework. The world has to fight the recession together, in the spirit of the United Nations, but also within the framework that is created by the United Nations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“And I would especially like to mention Poland, which, out of the generosity of her heart, lent us a hand without ever being asked — which we shall never forget. The International Monetary Fund offered us a stabilization programme that remains broadly on track, although I have to use this opportunity to voice 33 09-52592 Iceland’s grave dissatisfaction with the fact that unrelated bilateral disputes have prevented the programme from being fully implemented. I would also like to mention that our application to join the European Union has been very warmly received by our European neighbours, for which I am very thankful. I can therefore stand before this Assembly and say with confidence in my voice that despite the hardships that are behind us, the financial storms in Iceland are beginning to break.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Iceland was the first country to fall victim to the greed and excess of financiers who abused rules, followed dubious ethics, hid their money in tax havens and introduced an irresponsible system of stellar bonuses that incited reckless behaviour and risk- taking beyond anything that we had ever seen before. In Iceland, those responsible left in their wake a scorched earth: bewildered citizens, full of sorrow and anger, scarred by the possibility of imminent bankruptcy and the loss of their houses and jobs. I can tell this Assembly, however, that Iceland is pulling through, not least because of the hard work of our citizens, but also because we had friends that we could lean on. Our Nordic family did not desert us. The Baltic countries gave us their full moral support.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“It is indeed an honour for me to address this Assembly for the first time. I would like to start by congratulating His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty- fourth session, and I pledge him the full support of the Icelandic delegation in the difficult and arduous work that lies ahead of all of us. Only a year ago this weekend, my country, Iceland, found itself caught up in the beginning of the global financial storm. It swept almost the entire banking system in Iceland off the ground and left my country facing its most severe economic setback in living memory.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)