Young people, sustainable tourism and ocean affairs are in focus under Iceland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019. Nordic emphases on gender equality, digitalisation and sustainable development are incorporated into the Presidency projects, together with the UN Global Goals. The theme of the Presidency refers to the Nordic countries’ friendship, as it is manifest in mobility and strong mutual co-operation. They also share common paths to the rest of the world, where the Nordic countries present themselves jointly and make their contribution to international co-operation for peace, security and environmental protection. The common paths of the future lie through the digital world. There is deep-rooted respect for the principles of democracy and rule of law in the Nordic countries. We are determined to continue to be peaceful and diverse welfare societies, where culture and education flourish, and everyone is entitled to enjoy life’s opportunities. Societies where innovation goes hand-in-hand with the interests of nature, employment and a vital economy. Nordic co-operation has shown that it is better to build bridges than walls. There is nothing old-fashioned about co-operation, friendship and respect. These basic Nordic values are always at the forefront.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-511/ The project is concerned with sustainability in compulsory education in the Nordic countries and is part of the Iceland Presidency Project for the Nordic Council of Ministers initiated in 2018. The overall focus of the Presidency Project is on young people but this report looks at policy, curricula, teacher education and school practices. The analysis shows both similarities and differences across the Nordic Region. Compulsory education in the Nordic countries share some striking similarities, reflecting a strong emphasis on certain aspects of sustainability such as equality, democracy.Although sustainability education has a clear application in the fields of social and political life and economic activities in all of the Nordic countries, it is still the case that when sustainability education is discussed, an environmental perspective is most often taken.

For a long time, the Nordic countries have been a region of peace, with the ability to resolve conflicts peacefully among themselves, and a region for peace, actively promoting peace globally. Although efforts to actively brand the Nordic region are ongoing, the Nordic Peace brand is an area with untapped potential. The Nordics have rich traditions for working together on peace and conflict resolution. These joint efforts have grown organically and informally from like-mindedness, letting the common Nordic culture and ways of working foster integration among them where relevant. The people working in the Nordic countries on Nordic cooperation and peace recognize the potential of strengthening the Nordic Peace brand. One area of special potential is increasing focus on the shared Nordic priorities of prevention and the women, peace and security agenda as part of the Nordic Peace brand.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2020-001/ Abstract [en] State of the Nordic Region 2020 gives you a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The report presents a series of facts and figures showing the current state of play within core socioeconomic sectors, including demography, labour market and economy. In addition, you can read about wellbeing and energy pathways towards a carbon neutral Nordic Region. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Tourism is an important, growing industry in all the Nordic countries, but until recently, it has not had a particularly strong focus within the Nordic cooperation framework. This is changing rapidly, and the Nordic Council of Ministers has given a strong signal that increased emphasis should be placed on tourism issues within the Nordic framework. This project is a result of that important political prioritisation. The key objective of this project is to create a framework on which a Nordic Tourism Strategy can be established. Thus, the desired outcome of the project is to define future strategies and projects that will underscore common opportunities and challenges within Nordic tourism. The objective of a Nordic Tourism Policy Analysis is to provide valuable input to each country's work within tourism as well as laying a foundation for a common Nordic Tourism Policy.

This report examines the laws that govern parental leave in five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) from a historical perspective, as well as from the experiences of individuals and the findings of a literature review, in order to identify best practices and remaining challenges to help secure a more gender-equal society. Topics discussed include: women's labour market participation, job security and maternity leave; fathers as parents; flexibility and shortcomings in parental leave laws; the use of parental leave and factors that influence its use by men.