Relationship dossier
Iceland
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Relationship assessment
Iceland has treaty-based rights concerning Svalbard; Jan Mayen is governed separately under Norwegian administration.
Iceland toward Svalbard and Jan Mayen
+10Iceland participates in the Svalbard Treaty, which provides equal rights to nationals of treaty parties in specified economic activities in Svalbard, including fishing. The treaty does not apply to Jan Mayen.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen toward Iceland
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Iceland's participation in the Svalbard Treaty provides a framework for equal access to specified economic activities in Svalbard, including fishing, subject to the treaty's terms. That arrangement concerns Svalbard, not Jan Mayen. Svalbard and Jan Mayen are administered by Norway and do not conduct an independent foreign policy as a combined entity.
Key developments
The Svalbard Treaty established equal rights for nationals of its parties in specified economic activities in Svalbard.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Iceland's use of treaty-based rights in Svalbard is unclear.
- The combined Svalbard and Jan Mayen territory does not have an independent government policy toward Iceland.