Greenland gets its own Strategy for Foreign, Security and Defence Policy: Nothing about us, without us

In late February 2024, Greenland’s parliament, Inatsisartut, in the capital of Nuuk, approved with an overwhelming majority the first strategy for the autonomous Arctic region of Greenland. Naalakkersuisut, Greenland’s government, presented the strategy for the public. The title of the strategy is telling of today’s political aspirations in Nuuk, Greenland in the World: Nothing about us without us – Greenland’s Foreign, Security and Defense Policy 2024-2033.The process of developing a revised Arctic strategy for the Kingdom of Denmark may now be resumed. A new Arctic Strategy was in fact due back in 2021 after the previous one for 2011-2020 had expired. But a new strategy has yet to come to fruition, although a draft is rumoured to be gathering dust in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen. Some observers would argue that the delay is due to internal disagreement on the Greenlandic side. Other observers see the delay as a clear and conscious signal from Greenland – that they demand to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to the Kingdom’s dealings with the Arctic and not only contribute with input to something already largely conceived in Copenhagen.