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In these years, the Kingdom of Denmark holds the presidency of the Arctic Council, which forms an important platform for cooperation and exchange of experience between the Arctic countries. Arctic Ambassador Kenneth Høegh attends the Future Greenland conference with a presentation on the Arctic Council as a stabilizing factor in a difficult time.
The yellow building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asiatisk Plads in Copenhagen houses not only the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, but also the Kingdom’s Arctic Ambassador Kenneth Høegh, who has just returned to Denmark after 14 days at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nuuk.
– I have an office in both places, and divide my time between Greenland and Denmark. In addition, I spend time in Tromsø, which is the permanent secretariat of the Arctic Council, or attend meetings and conferences abroad, says Kenneth Høegh, who was appointed Arctic ambassador for the kingdom a year ago, after a lengthy discussion between Greenland and Denmark about who should contest the post.
From agricultural consultant to top diplomat
Before Kenneth Høegh was appointed Arctic ambassador, the job was contested by career diplomats from the Danish foreign service. That changed with Kenneth Høegh, who has been referred to by Naalakkersuisoq for Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt as “a unifying figure who knows the Arctic well, which is important in these challenging times”.
Born and raised in Narsaq and with a master’s degree in agricultural science from the University of Copenhagen in the background, this may not sound like the classic path to a role as a top diplomat. But along the way, the career took shape for Kenneth Høegh, who started as an agricultural adviser for the self-government within South Greenland agriculture and then as an envoy for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida) to Nepal, Bangladesh and Vietnam until he returned to South Greenland in 2014 – first as a business developer and after a few years as deputy municipal director in the Municipality of Kujalleq.
It was from here that Kenneth Høegh was recruited to Naalakkersuisut in 2018, where a profile with a foreign as well as agricultural background was sought. Kenneth Høegh initially worked as head of department and then as head of representation in Washington.
The Greenlandic footprint
Kenneth Høegh opens the cupboard in the office and takes out a dark blue tote bag and a leaflet printed on the occasion of the Kingdom’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2025-2027. On the outside you can see the presidency’s special logo – The three seals – made by the Greenlandic artist Miki Jacobsen.
The logo, executed with brush and ink, encapsulates in many ways the life and challenges of indigenous peoples and communities in the Arctic.
It also symbolizes the Arctic Council’s priorities: To ensure sustainable economic development, support solutions in relation to energy transition, ensure effective management of the marine environment and address the consequences of climate change and changes in biodiversity.
– I think it is extremely exciting work that we are in the middle of. The Kingdom of Denmark holds the presidency of the Arctic Council, and there is agreement to focus on sustainable business development and energy transition in the Arctic, which has been a Greenlandic wish for a long time, says Kenneth Høegh, who directs the presidency together with a team of competent employees in both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nuuk and the Faroese Department of Foreign Affairs and, not least, the Arctic Council Secretariat in Tromsø.
Stabilizing factor in the Arctic
The Arctic Council can celebrate its 30th anniversary in September. The role as a stabilizing and cooperating factor in the Arctic has not become less important over the years. On the contrary. New trade routes, increased focus on natural resources and the current superpower policy mean that it is extra important that the eight countries in the Arctic stick together and better understand each other.
– There is a narrative that the Arctic Council does not work. This is not true, because although some of the political meetings have been paused in protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the work of the six working groups continues unabated with the participation of all eight Member States and the organizations representing indigenous peoples of the Arctic. New projects are continuously defined in the working groups, and experience is exchanged, for example, on environmental monitoring in the broadest sense as well as social and business development. This kind of knowledge sharing and inspiration across the Arctic – from north to north – is very important these years. I believe that with the new airports and Sikuki in Nuuk, Greenland can develop into an important infrastructure hub in the north-eastern part of the Arctic, and in that way contribute to binding the Arctic countries closer together, says Kenneth Høegh, who believes that there is a responsiveness and respect for Greenland right now.
– The Arctic is our life. It’s my life. We know it inside out, and we listen to it. This gives Greenland some opportunities to influence the debate and cooperation.
Conferences in Greenland
Under the auspices of the presidency, in 2027 Nuuk will be the host city for a major biodiversity conference, and there are also plans for a workshop on economic development in the Arctic.
Finally, there are plans for a youth conference in Greenland in February 2027, which will gather around 300 young people from all over the Arctic with the aim of learning from each other and focusing on the conditions of young people.
– Exchange of knowledge makes us smarter and more resilient. We learn from each other and continuously develop the collaboration. In this connection, the Arctic Council plays a decisive role as a stabilizing factor in a difficult time.
The article is sponsored by Grønlands Erhverv.
