Print
See related documents
A. Draft resolution
(open)
Report | Doc. 16334 | 27 January 2026
Threats against the international order: the case of Greenland
Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy
A. Draft resolution 
(open)1. Recent threats by the United
States of America against the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of the Kingdom of Denmark, a member State of the Council of Europe,
have brought into ever sharper relief the fundamental challenges
confronting the international order. Rising global competition and
the return of power politics are increasingly undermining the principles
of international law, multilateral co-operation and respect for
established norms.
2. A growing trend of contestation of the rules-based international
order had already been decisively accelerated by the Russian Federation
in its resort to the use of force to attempt to alter internationally recognised
borders. The unprovoked full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine
reinforced the urgency of defending a legal and institutional order
based on shared rules rather than pure power competition, and of ensuring
that multilateral frameworks remain credible, effective and coherent.
3. In this increasingly contested environment, recent public
statements suggesting the acquisition, control, or transfer of territory
challenge established international norms. Even when framed as hypothetical
or strategic, such statements risk undermining respect for sovereignty
and territorial integrity and contribute to a climate in which pressure
and transactional logic are normalised, including among partners.
4. In response to these developments, the Parliamentary Assembly
welcomes the strong resolve and united response of European States
in support of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. The Assembly
has repeatedly underscored this need for greater unity among European
States, for deeper dialogue with partners, and for a renewed commitment
to international law so that multilateral platforms can deliver
effective results in addressing shared challenges, with action grounded
in the common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of
law.
5. The transatlantic relationship has long constituted a key
pillar of this action, which has enabled an unprecedented degree
of political, economic, cultural, and institutional integration,
including deeply interconnected markets, and shared security arrangements.
These deep links between Europe and the United States have also
generated mutual dependencies, which are sustainable only on the
basis of trust, predictability and respect for commonly agreed rules
and values.
6. Through this co-operation, collective responses to shared
threats have been possible, thereby contributing to peace, prosperity,
the promotion of democratic values and the development of universal
human rights standards. The direction of this relationship has far-reaching
implications for global affairs, including addressing the war of
aggression against Ukraine, the tensions in the Middle East, an
increasingly competitive global trade system, growing geopolitical
rivalries in a multipolar world, the climate crisis and the governance of
new technologies.
7. The Assembly cautions that the achievements of multilateral
co-operation are placed at risk when common rules and norms governing
relations between States shift towards narratives or actions based
on coercion, pressure, or transactional calculation. Such practices
weaken mutual trust and erode the normative foundations of long-standing
international co-operation. In response to these risks, the Assembly
welcomes the Council of Europe’s ongoing work on a New Democratic
Pact for Europe that underlines that democratic resilience, public
trust and security are inseparable and must be addressed together.
8. The Assembly notes with concern that recent threats against
Greenland represent a concrete manifestation of these wider pressures
on the international order and on trust-based co-operation among partners.
9. The strategic importance of Greenland has increased markedly
in a context of intensifying global power competition. Evolving
security dynamics in the Arctic and growing interest in natural
resources and transport routes have heightened geopolitical attention
to this territory. The Russian Federation’s war of aggression against
Ukraine has profoundly disrupted established patterns of co-operation
in the Arctic, including within the Arctic Council, accelerating
mistrust and competition and weakening long-standing mechanisms
of dialogue and restraint.
10. The Assembly recalls that, in accordance with the constitutional
framework of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is an integral part
of the Danish realm and enjoys a status of autonomy. It further
recalls that the sovereignty of Denmark over Greenland, accompanied
by extensive Greenlandic self-government, is a matter of settled
international law. Denmark, bound by the Statute of the Council
of Europe (ETS No. 1) and by the European Convention on Human Rights
(ETS No. 5), bears international responsibility for ensuring compliance with
these obligations throughout its territory. Greenland falls within
the scope of these obligations and benefits from the Council of
Europe’s standards in the fields of human rights, democracy and
the rule of law, in accordance with the applicable constitutional
arrangements.
11. Any use or threat of force against the territory of a State
would constitute a direct violation of the legal and moral norms
that govern the peaceful coexistence of States, and in particular
of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations
relating to sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference
in internal affairs of States. These principles apply equally to
autonomous and self-governing territories forming part of a State,
which may not be treated as objects of negotiation, acquisition
or strategic transaction.
12. The Assembly stresses that it belongs exclusively to the people
of Greenland, as it does to the people of Denmark, to decide on
matters concerning their future and their mutual relations, in full
respect of applicable constitutional and legal frameworks. The right
of peoples to self-determination is a central principle of the international
legal order and must be exercised freely, without external pressure
or interference, and in conditions that ensure democratic legitimacy
and legal certainty.
13. The Assembly recognises and welcomes efforts to clarify positions
and to seek shared solutions through political dialogue. In this
context, the agreement of a framework of a future deal regarding
Greenland between the President of the United States, Donald Trump,
and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General,
Mark Rutte, represents an important basis for advancing dialogue
between allies to enhance security in the Arctic region. The Assembly
remains committed to constructive engagement and co-operation firmly anchored
in respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and established
legal frameworks.
14. In light of the above considerations, the Assembly, as regards
threats to the international order:
14.1. reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the principles
of international law as the essential foundations of peace, security
and stability in Europe and beyond;
14.2. underlines that international relations grounded in trust
and respect for agreed rules are the foundation of stability, collective
security and prosperity, and that the use of economic, political
or security dependencies as instruments of coercion risks eroding
trust and destabilising the international order;
14.3. calls for constructive engagement between partners and
allies to address shared challenges and to uphold the principles
that underpin enduring international co-operation, including the
continued support of Ukraine in defence of its sovereignty and territorial
integrity;
14.4. encourages member and observer States of the Council of
Europe to strengthen co-operation within relevant multilateral forums,
both regionally and globally, with a view to reinforcing democratic resilience,
upholding international law, and addressing shared challenges in
a manner grounded in the values of human rights, democracy, and
the rule of law;
14.5. reiterates the valuable contribution of the European Commission
for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) in assisting numerous
States to adopt constitutional and legislative reforms that uphold
the values of the Council of Europe, and regrets the decision of
the United States of America to withdraw from this advisory body,
thereby depriving it of an important source of expertise and experience;
14.6. welcomes the focus of the Council of Europe on reinforcing
democratic security, including through the work to establish a New
Democratic Pact for Europe, and calls for strengthened democratic governance
to enhance resilience in the face of geopolitical pressure and growing
militarisation in Europe.
15. As regards Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, the Assembly:
15.1. reiterates that Greenland is
an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and that any decisions
concerning its future status or its relations within the kingdom
may be taken only by the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark;
15.2. calls on member States of the Council of Europe to support
efforts to strengthen Arctic security, by providing stronger political
engagement, funding and dedicated co-ordination to the democratic security
and institutions of Greenland and Denmark;
15.3. calls for continued focus on strengthening responses to
disinformation, hybrid threats and possible foreign interference
in Council of Europe member States.
16. As regards its own work, the Assembly:
16.1. reaffirms its commitment to parliamentary dialogue, both
in the European space and with partners beyond it, as a means of
exchange on matters of common concern and in the promotion of the
principles of parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
16.2. should continue to explore the development of its transatlantic
dialogue, as well as seek avenues to deepen its already well-established
relations with its observer delegations from Canada and Mexico.