Denmark and Greenland’s Uranium: Building A Joint System from Scratch

Past

Watch the event video below or click here.

Last year Denmark and Greenland established a shared approach to ensuring the peaceful uses of any future production and export of Greenland’s uranium. In their commitment to reach for the ‘highest international standards,’ legislation on nuclear safeguards and export controls adopted last July represents not only a milestone in Danish-Greenlandic relations, but also potentially serves as a model for other suppliers (old or new) in meeting international non-proliferation and nuclear security obligations.

The Nuclear Safeguards Program hosted a discussion with officials from the Royal Danish Embassy, Lars Bo Møller and Inuuteq Holm Olsen, on the approach by Denmark and Greenland in developing a ‘Kingdom-appropriate’ system for the governance of Greenland’s uranium. 

WHAT: A discussion on the experience of Greenland and Denmark in preparing for supplier status, their joint approach to non-proliferation compliance and what lies ahead for the Kingdom.

Featuring: 

Lars Bo Møller, Deputy Chief of Mission, Royal Danish Embassy to the United States
Møller is currently the Deputy Chief of Mission, Royal Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C. Before arriving in the U.S., Ambassador Moeller held various positions in the Danish Ministry of Foreign affairs including Head of Department, Stabilization and Security Policy Department (2009 – 2014), Re-organization Project Manager and Head of Department to the Permanent Secretary of State (2009). He also served as Head of Department, Agency for Governmental Management, Customer Relations for the Ministry of Finance (2007-2009) and Deputy Head, Foreign Policy Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-2007). Mr. Moeller also served as First Secretary at the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Union in Brussels (1996 – 2000) and as an Associate professor in public administration and political science EuroFaculty at the Institute of Political Science and International Relations, Vilnius University in Lithuania (1995 – 1996).

Inuuteq Holm Olsen, Minister Plenipotentiary for Greenland, Royal Danish Embassy to the United States
Olsen serves as Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of Representation at the Greenland Representation at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington D.C. since January 1, 2014.  As of October 2015, Olsen is also accredited to Canada. Previously, he was Senior Adviser for Greenland and Arctic Affairs at the Danish Foreign Ministry. Olsen also served as Deputy Minister for the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Greenland (2006 – 2012). Other positions include Private Secretary to the Premier (1997 – 1999) and a posting at the Danish Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen and at the Greenland Representation in Brussels (2003 – 2005). 

Cindy Vestergaard (moderator), Senior Associate and Director of the Nuclear Safeguards program, Stimson Center
Vestergaard is a Senior Associate with the Nuclear Safeguards program. Vestergaard was previously a Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before joining DIIS, Vestergaard worked on non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament policy and programming at Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Positions, among others, included Senior Policy Advisor, Global Partnership Program; Senior Policy Advisor, Foreign Intelligence Division; and Political Officer at Canada’s Mission to Hungary and Slovenia.

 

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