Speech by the Ambassador of Denmark, Mr. Birger Riis-Jørgensen, in the Conservative Foreign & Commonwealth Council, Portcullis House,21 January 2008.
Royal Danish Embassy
London
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you for offering me this opportunity to address this important gathering on the foreign policy of Denmark.
Let me start with some facts - 6 pieces of information.
1. Denmark spends 0.8 % of GDP per year on development assistance - in addition to our share of EU assistance.
2. Denmark contributes - on a per capita basis - more soldiers to international military peace keeping and peace making operations than virtually any other European country, namely more than 220 per million inhabitants.
3. Denmark - less than 5,5 million inhabitants - has 700 soldiers in Afghanistan, including a combat group in the Helmand province, fighting the Taliban alongside British troops. Again last week, Danish soldiers, supported by heavy Danish armour, were successfully involved in fighting the Taliban in the Gereshk Valley, pushing the Taliban further away from Gereshk. We have unfortunately sustained significant losses over the past year. We also were present in Basra with a battalion-sized unit until last year and with helicopters until December.
4. Danes are comfortable with globalisation. 3 out of 4 Danes consider globalisation to be an opportunity, rather than a threat. In Denmark, 240.000 jobs disappear every year. And 250.000 new jobs are created.
5. Believe it or not: Danes are comfortable with the European Union as well. In fact, 7 out of 10 Danes are fundamentally happy with the European Union.
6. And according to serious research carried out by Cambridge University, the Danes are the happiest people in EU15 with a lot of social capital - strong trust in one another, in private business, in public institutions, in the politicians of the land.
What is foreign policy actually about in a country with these features?
Our Foreign Minister, Dr. Per Stig Møller, has said that the whole purpose of Danish foreign policy is to ensure as much freedom as possible to conduct our internal policies in the way we want to. Perhaps this reflects very well that in Denmark, we are fully aware that the outside world is terribly important to our economic well-being and security.
Dr. Møller's remark also illustrates that we are pretty certain that somehow our fundamental security concerns are taken well into account through our active participation in NATO, in the EU, in the United Nations and in the close transatlantic cooperation. Also WTO and other international organisations are important for the achievement of Danish foreign policy goals.
I'll spend the next 15 minutes or so on the fundamentals of Danish foreign policy by way of focussing on three topical areas: Climate change; the efforts to ensure a safer world for us and the generations to come; and finally: the European Union as an exceedingly important vehicle for the attainment of Danish foreign policy goals.
By focussing on these three aspects - climate change; security; EU - I realize that a great number of nuances will have to be sacrificed. But please feel free to ask subsequently. I intend to speak for only 20 minutes initially in order to leave room for plenty of discussion, of questions and answers.
The climate of this planet is changing literally around us. The Danish government is in no doubt that these changes most probably are manmade. GHGs are being emitted in ever growing quantities. Our planet as a consequence becomes warmer and warmer. The IPCC - the UN Climate Panel - predicts a growth in global warming during the 21st century, most probably between 1,8 and 4 degrees C .
We all know what the consequences will be, unless we stop this development. Changes in sea levels; in water supplies; desertification; extinction of species etc etc. Which in turn in significant parts of the world will lead to human misery, massive migration, fights about water supplies etc.
Therefore, it is paramount to halt this development. Through national measures. And through international agreements. Nationally, Denmark has a reasonable record. 15% of our energy production - we are net exporters of energy - now comes from renewable energy sources. We have had a growth over the past 25 years of 70% in GDP, and a growth in energy consumption of just a bit above 0%. And the government has set ambitious goals for the future. 30% of energy production by 2025 should come from renewables. There will be more use of biofuels. And energy savings of 1,4% year by year to 2025.
But evidently, it is at the international level the climate change agenda has to be addressed. Denmark supports strongly the 20'/20/20 goals adopted by the European Council in March 2007 - 20% renewable energy; 20% CO2 reductions (in fact 30% as part of an international agreement); and 20% greater energy efficiency - all by 2020 in the EU. The EU clearly sets an example to other developed countries, not parties of the Kyoto agreement, and to developing countries as well. Without the EU as the driving force, there would be no hope that a suitable international structure can be found to handle these challenges, once the Koyto-agreement expires by 2012.
Denmark will continue to play an active role in the international climate negotiations. We will host the COP 15 in Denmark in follow-up to COP 13 in Bali in December 2007 and COP 14 in Poznan this year. The goal is to achieve in Copenhagen in December 2009 an agreement to curb to sustainable levels the emission of green house gasses. The Danish government is committing many resources not only to ensure the practical organisation of the conference, but in particular to contribute to the planning and conduct of the negotiations over the next two years and at the conference itself. It will be a real challenge to get all the major countries aboard such an agreement. But by sticking together and talking with one voice, the EU can influence countries like the US, India and China.
The climate change agenda of course has ramifications for the security policy of any country. But Danish security policy has many other components.
In a way, the security of Denmark starts in the mountains of Afghanistan. The Taliban offered terrorists a safe haven there prior to 9/11. Denmark, together with a large number of partner countries now work together with the Afghan government to combat the Taliban and consequently to assist in bringing peace and development to Afghanistan.
Democracy is challenged in the whole region. The murder of Benazir Bhutto brought this point home as well. Denmark is in no doubt about the need to support the democratic forces in the region. By sending soldiers to do the tough work in Helmand, but also by assuming responsibility - in a comprehensive approach - for working with the Afghans on the education sector in that province, and by numerous other activities elsewhere in Afghanistan.
Denmark focuses much attention on the enormously challenging conflicts of the Middle East. They are closely interrelated. They are mutually reinforcing each other. And beneath the conflicts, there are plenty of socio-economic problems, political and economic tensions, and a democratic deficit.
During the Danish EU-presidency in 2002, the Road Map for Peace in the Middle East was introduced. Denmark has been active in numerous other ways in recent years, supporting economically the PA, engaging in dialogue with the countries and with various groupings in the region, and taking part in the international work in support of solving the conflicts. In December last, the Danish Foreign Minister participated in the Annapolis conference as well as the donor conference in Paris.
And Denmark has recently opened a number of additional embassies in the Middle Eastern/North African region precisely in order to be able directly in the region to make her contribution towards peace and development.
It is only by meeting the challenges in the region and removing sources of discontent can we make it difficult for totalitarian-minded individuals and groups to use Islam as a pretext for their criminal, undemocratic activities.
In spite of all the difficulties, there is no reason to despair. Developments in the Balkans are good examples of how an active and persistent effort from the international community can actually help overcome almost intractable conflicts. Again: Denmark has made and is making its contribution - in terms of soldiers stationed there and in terms of policy advice and money for development. Right now, Denmark has 320 military personnel stationed in Kosovo.
Now: The European Union. It is a unique achievement - by any standard of world history - that we have managed in Europe to peacefully overcome the tragic consequences of two atrocious wars, of fascist and communist totalitarianism, and of the division of Europe.
After two generations of ruthless communist suppression behind the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, we could finally, in Copenhagen in December 2002, close one of the darkest chapters of European history. A new Europe was born then - when we decided to enlarge the European Union to 27 countries.
The European Union offers its members strong guaranties for sovereignty and influence. This goes also for the smaller member countries.
We have spent much time discussing the institutional set-up in the EU. Denmark is happy that these discussions have now come to an end with the signing of the Lisbon Treaty. It will offer the EU the instruments and procedures necessary to ensure that an EU with 27 members can function efficiently. We expect to have the Lisbon Treaty ratified in Denmark by the end of March.
The EU now has to focus on what really matters to the citizens of Europe - energy, climate change, environment, economic growth and employment, external trade, consumer protection, the fight against organised crime and terrorism, and common foreign policy positions on specific questions relating to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, to climate negotiations and to world trade negotiations.
As I hinted at the outset, Danes are realising that the EU is a useful vehicle to achieve Danish policy objectives. Many Danes have also come to realise that the EU they feared in the early 1990's - the development of a federal construction with an army etc - has not and will not materialise.
Since the early 1990's, Denmark has had important opt-outs in the EU - relating to defence, to legal and home affairs, and to the euro. It is the firm belief of the government that these reservations are hurting the interests of Denmark; that they are actually impeding Denmark to exercise influence on very important parts of EU work.
The Danish Government consequently wants the opt-outs abolished. It is clearly stated in the new Government platform that the Danish population should vote on them. We want Denmark to be at the heart of Europe in order to contribute fully to the future development of the EU.
I have explained in some detail Danish positions on climate change, on security, on the EU. I hope to have given you an impression of the foreign policy of a small, but quite confident country, actively trying to do its part to make this world better and safer.
We do not suffer from any small state syndrome. We are actually proud of punching - according to Colin Powell - above our weight. But we also realise that it is only in cooperation with other nations that we can actually achieve our foreign policy goals.
In this endeavour, the UK is one of our most important partners. The UK has done fantastic work on climate change - in general and in the EU. We work closely together regarding security policy. We pursue the same goals in many concrete practical EU-policy areas.
Therefore, I have been extremely grateful for this opportunity to outline Danish foreign policy objectives for this distinguished forum.
Thank you for your attention.