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Af Søren Rasmussen 31-03 2009 - 13:46

A conference in the Danish parliament yesterday focus on new challenges and opportunities for cooperation in the Arctic has exposed what critics say is the Danish government’s lack of interest in the region.

The conference was attended by researchers, military representatives and members of the Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese parliaments.

The conference was seen as preparation for the Danish chairmanship of the Arctic Council, covering all countries in the North Pole, for the coming two years.

However, the Danish minister for Nordic cooperation, Bertel Haarder, turned up late and left early. In all, he spent less than half an hour at the conference.

Those who had suggestions for Denmark’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council found Danish representatives unable or unwilling to reply. Others received no answer when they asked what Denmark’s position as chairman would be.

One question left unanswered was posed by Tove Søvndahl Pedersen, leader of the Greenland Home Rule representation in Copenhagen, who wanted to know if the Danish parliament intended to increase support to enable indigenous people to take part in the Arctic Council.

The question of financial support from the Danish Kingdom was an important one, as delegates of an Arctic Council work group for viable development are currently operating without any funding from member governments, and with only one part time secretary paid for by the Canadian government.

Rasmus Ole Rasmussen, an associate professor at Denmark’s Roskilde University, and an expert on Greenland, the Arctic and indigenous peoples, pointed out that the Danish Kingdom was the only member of the Arctic Council that did not take part in a project that currently includes 160 educational institutions.

However, by the time Rasmus Ole Rasmussen brought the point up at the conference Haarder, who also happens to be Denmark’s education minister, had left.

Environmental issues also seemed to be taken lightly. Better cooperation and preparedness for environmental disasters at sea were suggested by Marie Fleischer, a member of the Greenlandic parliament. However, Haarder commented in his short speech that each Arctic country should have its own environmental regulations.