The Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Finland, Republic of Iceland,
Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Sweden, and the United States of America reaffirm
our deep partnership based on shared fundamental values including our commitment
to democracy, human rights, respect for the rule of law, and economic freedom.
We continue to deepen our collaboration on important shared global priorities,
including climate change and clean energy, the Arctic, a strong, open
multilateral trading system, emerging security challenges, global development
and humanitarian assistance, and Europe's regional economic and security
environment. This evening, we have come together at a defining moment in the
transatlantic relationship to discuss our long-term goals in each of these areas
and agree to take concrete steps to achieve those goals.
United on Global Issues
The United States and the Nordic countries share the goal of a stable and
peaceful Middle East. We agree that all relevant parties must work urgently for
a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We are determined to
work together to promote respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law
in Egypt. With regard to the situation in Syria, we strongly condemn any and all
use of chemical weapons, and we are convinced a strong international reaction is
required. Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held
accountable.
We recognize the importance of cooperation between our countries in building
comprehensive security and addressing security issues in the 21st century,
including terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illicit
international arms trade, and threats to cyber security. We also recognize that
we must address these challenges in a manner that respects our most cherished
values and protects universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are
at the foundation of all flourishing democracies. We note the need to continue
to strengthen our countries' important contributions to regional, transatlantic,
and international forums, including in the EU, NATO and NATO Partnership
context. We recommit to continuing and expanding our security, recognizing that
this cooperation - with and among the Nordic countries, with other regional
partners, including especially the Baltic states, and in transatlantic and
international fora - will be crucial to our success.
To complement our already robust bilateral and regional security cooperation,
we agree to launch a U.S.-Nordic Security Dialogue, which will meet annually to
discuss opportunities for collaboration on global and regional security issues,
focusing primarily on issues arising in the United Nations, including an
integrated approach to preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and
atrocity prevention. Another stream of work will include joint capacity building
efforts to promote stabilization in fragile and conflict affected states -
linking up security and development efforts, and civilian and military
partners.
Recognizing that we still have work to do closer to home, we agree on our
mutual commitment to deepening regional cooperation and continuing to pursue our
common vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.
We underscore the importance of actions that can support a global economic
recovery, including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP)
currently being negotiated between the European Union and the United States.
T-TIP aims to boost economic growth in the United States and the EU and add to
the more than 13 million American and EU jobs already supported by transatlantic
trade and investment. We also look forward to exploring ways we can bolster
trade and investment between the United States and Norway and Iceland. We also
emphasize our commitment to achieving significant and substantive outcomes at
the 9th World Trade Organization Ministerial.
We agree that the fight against tax avoidance and evasion should be a top
priority in all relevant international fora. We support the work of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's on base erosion and
profit shifting (BEPS) and automatic exchange of information as the new global
standard. The engagement of the G20 in these issues is important. The misuse of
shell companies can be a severe impediment to sustainable economic growth and
sound governance. We will make a concerted and collective effort to tackle this
issue and improve the transparency of companies and legal arrangements.
Partnering on Climate Change and the Arctic
Climate change is one of the foremost challenges for our future economic
growth and well-being. We underscore the importance of continuing to encourage
innovative approaches to promoting energy efficiency and clean energy, including
renewables, and of taking action on climate change, domestically and
internationally. This requires mobilizing scaled up climate finance. We agreed
on the importance of reaching an ambitious, comprehensive, fair, and inclusive
climate agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change in 2015 that is consistent with science, mindful of the two degree
target, and applicable to all.
As part of our commitment to accelerating the transition to low-carbon energy
systems worldwide, the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
will join the United States in ending public financing for new coal-fired power
plants overseas, except in rare circumstances. We will work together to secure
the support of other countries and multilateral development banks to adopt
similar policies. The Nordic countries and the United States agreed to continue
their work, in all appropriate channels, to reduce the use of domestic fossil
fuel subsidies globally. The United States also agrees to join with the Nordic
members of the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform to undertake peer reviews
of domestic fossil fuel subsidies.
Recognizing the rapid growth of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition over its
first 18 months, we note the potential of the Coalition to catalyze significant
global reductions of short-lived climate pollutants, which have major impacts on
climate change and public health. The U.S. and Nordic members of the Coalition
agree to intensify our efforts and invite others to join to take full advantage
of the Coalition's potential.
The United States and Nordic members of the Clean Energy Ministerial continue
to support various ministerial initiatives, including the 21st Century Power
Partnership, which brings together government and private sector actors to help
identify and promote successful technical, policy, and financial pathways to
cleaner and more efficient power systems in both developed and developing
countries. Additionally, the United States and Nordic countries expressed our
support for the "Sustainable Energy for All" initiative of the UN
Secretary-General.
We recommit to protecting the Arctic environment, working to improve living
conditions and encouraging sustainable development in the Arctic region,
particularly with respect to indigenous peoples, and ensuring that the Arctic
remains a peaceful region of cooperation. We will pursue opportunities in future
Arctic Council meetings and other international fora to promote prosperity,
foster scientific cooperation, and reduce emissions of black carbon in the
Arctic region, as agreed upon in the Kiruna Declaration.
Advancing Global Development
As leaders in providing development assistance, we agree on the strategic,
economic, and moral imperative of global development and humanitarian aid. We
are committed to aggressive efforts to accelerate achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs continue to be a symbol of our common
humanity and a statement of the world's commitment to eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger, combating disease, achieving gender equality, free quality
education for all, and environmental sustainability, thus extending hope and
opportunity to billions across the world. We note the opportunities for using
trade to boost economic growth and reduce poverty in developing countries, as
well as the importance of promoting human rights and gender equality. In
addition, we agree that vaccination through GAVI represents one of the most
cost-effective approaches to save children's lives and that with enhanced
efforts, polio can be eradicated within this decade. Together, we envision a
unified post-2015 agenda that addresses poverty, inclusive growth, and
sustainability in clear, ambitious, and measurable goals.
The United States and Nordic countries are critical donors in fight against
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria worldwide. We commend the reforms and
results achieved by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and will work
together to ensure a successful replenishment. In a demonstration of strong
leadership, a number of Nordic countries are together pledging $750 million,
over $150 million in increased funds for the Global Fund replenishment, subject
to parliamentary approval. This funding will leverage $375 million from the U.S.
challenge pledge of $1 for every $2 donated. These historic multilateral
investments will work to turn the tide against these three devastating
diseases.
Access to electricity continues to be one of the most significant hurdles to
economic growth and development. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, more than
two-thirds of the population is without access to power. To support a doubling
of electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa the United States and Nordic
countries have expressed our support for the Power Africa initiative and agree
to work together to provide technical assistance, financing and other support to
enable additional investment in energy projects throughout the region.
In support of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), we
agree to promote transparency and accountability of expenditures and revenues
related to the extraction of natural resources, including through support to the
multi-donor trust fund for EITI or the EITI Secretariat. EU member states
Denmark, Finland, and Sweden intend to quickly transpose the EU Accounting and
Transparency Directive, which requires mandatory disclosures of payments made to
governments for extractive and logging projects.
Protecting Human Rights and Strengthening Governance
We will work together to eradicate poverty, promote good governance and human
rights, combat all forms of trafficking in persons, and to strengthen gender
equality and the rights of women and girls, including sexual and reproductive
health and rights.
We agree to make real our respective obligations and commitments to promote
and protect women's human rights and fundamental freedoms as outlined in the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the United Nations resolutions on
Women, Peace and Security, and other international instruments and agreements on
women's rights. We note in particular the importance of empowering women as
equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace and ensuring their
protection from violence, and of our continued bilateral and multilateral
engagement to this end in such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the
Middle East. In Afghanistan, for example, we endorse such flagship initiatives
as PROMOTE, UNWomen's Elimination of Violence against Women Special Fund, the
Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund's EQUIP, and the National Solidarity Program's
Community Development Councils, which together empower a critical mass of Afghan
women to fully participate in Afghan society.
We strengthen our commitments to advance equality and dignity for LGBT
persons through the Global Equality Fund. This commitment reflects an
increasingly growing global sentiment that all persons should be treated equally
and with dignity regardless of who they are or who they love.
The United States and Nordic members of the Open Government Partnership, a
multilateral initiative that asks governments to promote transparency, empower
citizens, fight corruption, and strengthen governance, agree to redouble our
efforts to develop ambitious "Race to the Top" commitments for the October 31
Open Government Partnership Ministerial.
Working together, we have a historic opportunity to make progress on issues
of global significance, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to the pursuit
of these goals.
Protecting Human Rights and Strengthening Governance
We will work together to eradicate poverty, promote good governance and human
rights, combat all forms of trafficking in persons, and to strengthen gender
equality and the rights of women and girls, including sexual and reproductive
health and rights.
We agree to make real our respective obligations and commitments to promote
and protect women's human rights and fundamental freedoms as outlined in the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the United Nations resolutions on
Women, Peace and Security, and other international instruments and agreements on
women's rights. We note in particular the importance of empowering women as
equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace and ensuring their
protection from violence, and of our continued bilateral and multilateral
engagement to this end in such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the
Middle East. In Afghanistan, for example, we endorse such flagship initiatives
as PROMOTE, UNWomen's Elimination of Violence against Women Special Fund, the
Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund's EQUIP, and the National Solidarity Program's
Community Development Councils, which together empower a critical mass of Afghan
women to fully participate in Afghan society.
We strengthen our commitments to advance equality and dignity for LGBT
persons through the Global Equality Fund. This commitment reflects an
increasingly growing global sentiment that all persons should be treated equally
and with dignity regardless of who they are or who they love.
The United States and Nordic members of the Open Government Partnership, a
multilateral initiative that asks governments to promote transparency, empower
citizens, fight corruption, and strengthen governance, agree to redouble our
efforts to develop ambitious "Race to the Top" commitments for the October 31
Open Government Partnership Ministerial.
Working together, we have a historic opportunity to make progress on issues
of global significance, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to the pursuit
of these goals.
