Norden’s Eclipse

Abstract

The United Nations has long been a common priority in the foreign policies of the Nordic countries and a forum in which Nordic collaboration has been extensive. This article demonstrates how expanded Nordic-European Union membership and the evolution of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) have eclipsed the unique Nordic role in the world body. This change is documented through an examination of Nordic voting cohesion and joint initiatives from UN documents as well as qualitative data obtained through interviews with Nordic delegates at the UN. The significance of this change is analysed by applying the concept of global presence or ‘actorness’ as it relates to both European and Nordic goup efforts at the UN. The concept of international goup actor includes: (1) external recognition, (2) (legal) authority, (3) autonomy, and (4) cohesion among collaborating states. In this article I argue that the Nordics were traditionally quite strong on the elements of recognition, autonomy and cohesion, while EU cooperation has greater strengths in legal authority and procedural cohesion. The main impact of expanded Nordic-EU membership has been to erode the factors of authority, autonomy and external recognition for the Nordic bloc. While less visible, the Nordics may in fact be more influential, as the values that they have traditionally promoted — international peace and security, effective international development assistance and humanitarian relief, respect for human rights and the rule of law, environmental protection and sustainable development — find resonance in EU common policies at the UN.