Kingdom of Denmark chairs key Arctic Council meeting in Tromsø

It’s far from business as usual at the Arctic Council, but the Kingdom of Denmark, now at the helm, is aiming to rebuild trust, highlight Indigenous initiatives, and tackle climate impacts. 

Concluding its first round of meetings as the new Arctic Council chair on Tuesday in Tromsø, Norway, the Kingdom of Denmark signaled a cautious optimism amid an evolving geopolitical landscape in the North.

“I am very satisfied to have concluded positive and constructive meetings,” Kenneth Høegh, chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, said in a statement. “While it is not business as usual in the Arctic Council, we aim to make the Council as lively and vibrant as possible.”

The Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, took the helm of the international forum in May at a delicate moment. The Council—focused on environmental protection, sustainable development, and emergency response—has long excluded military matters, but geopolitical tensions have increasingly complicated its work.

Recent stresses include U.S. pressure for strategic control over Greenland and the ongoing fallout from Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted collaboration and sidelined Moscow.

While some of the Council’s expert groups resumed meetings in 2024,  full cooperation is still on hold, and high-level diplomatic meetings haven’t resumed.

Updates on Indigenous Permanent Participant projects

The two-day sessions in Tromsø  brought together over 30 participants, including Heads of Delegation from the Indigenous Permanent Participants, as well as Chairs and Secretariats from the Council’s Working Groups.

A key focus across the meetings was on Indigenous Permanent Participant projects and participation in working groups.

“Engagement with Indigenous Peoples with a focus on promoting knowledge sharing is a cross-cutting priority for the Kingdom of Denmark,” Høegh said.

“Meeting with the Permanent Participants and subsidiary bodies is extremely important and valuable to see our Chairship priorities through and to advance the many diverse projects and initiatives in the Council. Hearing the positivity and dedication from Permanent Participants and Working Groups leaves me with a great sense of optimism.”

During its chairmanship, the Kingdom of Denmark has laid out five priorities for the Arctic Council: boosting Indigenous leadership, especially in areas like health, youth, and gender equality; promoting sustainable growth through clean energy; protecting Arctic biodiversity; strengthening ocean monitoring and cooperation; and tackling climate impacts by cutting black carbon and methane emissions.

Discussions at the Tromsø meeting also focused on how to integrate these priorities into the Council’s working group projects, the statement said.

The Tromsø meeting ran June 16-17.

Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca 

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Greenland: Europeans step up Arctic diplomacy amid U.S. and global pressure, Eye on the Arctic

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United States: White House releases U.S. Arctic strategy implementation plan, Eye on the Arctic