Foreword
The vision of a Nordic Region which is the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030 is what gives shape to the activities of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Ministers for Nordic Co-operation (MR-SAM) have overarching responsibility for the co-ordination of work relating to this vision, and they also have a special responsibility to promote cross-sector co-operation, to raise Nordic affairs internally within their governments and to monitor the overall performance of the Council of Ministers.
The Nordic co-operation programme for the MR-SAM 2025–2030 establishes a clear trajectory for the work to be carried out over the coming years. Through clear political priorities in the spirit of the vision, the ambition is to bolster initiatives and programmes within the Council that can contribute towards the delivery of Nordic solutions, to generate new and in-demand knowledge, and to further develop and strengthen the platforms that exist for Nordic co-operation.
Special importance is attached to measures that seek to boost mobility and integration across borders, in part through a stronger mandate for work that addresses border obstacles and through improved information initiatives. It should be simple for our citizens to live, study, work and run businesses within and beyond their borders all across the Nordic Region. Greater integration benefits both citizens and businesses, and thus also our nations at large. The removal of border obstacles is particularly important to increasing growth and competitiveness, which in turn are prerequisites to ensuring our welfare and the green transition both today and in the future.
A strong civil society is an important cornerstone of the Nordic co-operation model. Between now and 2030, special efforts will be made to improve the opportunities of Nordic civil-society organisations to exchange experiences and to pursue cross-Nordic activities. An important component of this work will comprise support for the opportunities of children and young people to have their democratic voices heard.
The co-operation programme is being adopted in a time of considerable global challenges in which crisis follows crisis, and the future is perceived as being highly uncertain by many. Seldom before has it been more important to have robust co-operation in place across Nordic borders, and to work jointly for a sustainable future.
We, the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation, continue to fix our attention on the continuation of good co-operation with our neighbours in the Baltic, the Arctic and the North Atlantic, and this is clearly reflected in the priorities of the programme.
A central objective is also to ensure the right conditions for well-functioning communication initiatives within the area of Nordic co-operation, both within and beyond the borders of the Nordic Region. It is crucial that we continue to look outward and forward in order to develop and secure our region ahead of the future.
Jessica Rosencrantz
Minister for Nordic Co-operation
Minister for Nordic Co-operation
Karen Ellemann
Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers
Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers