Among other members of the Arctic Council, Denmark is often overlooked. In fact, Denmark has the largest polar territories out of any council member. The Danish government initiated the Ilulissat Declaration, which bound five major Arctic powers into an agreement over environmental protection, trade route management, and maritime management. Recently, the Danish Ministry of Defence announced a plan to develop the Royal Danish Navy and the US Air Force confirmed plans to service the Thule Air Base with Danish-owned companies. Far from being an under-examined Arctic country, Denmark will play an increasingly important role in Arctic security and development in the next 12 months.
Alec Smith
Alec Smith is a graduate of the MSC International Relations program of the University of Aberdeen and holds an LLB in Global Law from Tilburg University. He works in the private sector in field investigations and security.