Democracy under pressure, freedom of movement in the Nordic Region and co-operation on legislation are just some of the topics high on the agenda for the 70th Session of the Nordic Council in the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo, 30.10–1.11 2018. The Session is the Nordic Summit, the biggest political event in the Region, bringing together politicians from all of the countries, the 87 members of the Nordic Council, and a range of ministers, including the prime ministers.
The Sessions are the supreme decision-making body for Nordic parliamentary co-operation. They are a unique form of regional co-operation and are attended by Nordic politicians, who are chosen as members of the Council by their country’s parliament, and Nordic government ministers. They all take part in the debates on important issues for Nordic co-operation, but the right to vote is restricted to the parliamentary members.
Laura Cibule from news agency LETA will attend the Session and report about the highlights, also about perspectives in Nordic-Baltic cooperation.
The five Nordic Council prizes are among the most prestigious awards in the Nordic Region and attract considerable international attention. The Literature Prize is the oldest. It was awarded for the first time in 1962, followed by the Music Prize (1965), Environment Prize (1995), Film Prize (2002) and the Children's and Youth Literature Prize (2013). The five adjudication committees select the nominees and the winner.
The annual award ceremony will be held during the 70th Session of the Nordic Council in Oslo and the winners of the five prizes will be announced at a star-studded award ceremony in Oslo Opera House. The Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, author Gunilla Bergström, actor Jakob Oftebro and composer Sofia Jernberg will present the Northern Lights statuettes and DKK 350,000 to the winners of the five prizes.