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Disentangling the conundrum of self-determination and its implications in Greenland

Part of: International Law for Sustainability in Arctic Resource Development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2020

Dorothée Céline Cambou Open the ORCID record for Dorothée Céline Cambou [Opens in a new window]
Dorothée Céline Cambou*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Arts & Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
*
Author for correspondence: D. C. Cambou, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In 2009, the Act on Greenland Self-Government was adopted. It recognises that “the people of Greenland is a people pursuant to international law with the right of self-determination”. Within this framework, the people of Greenland have gained significant control over their own affairs and the right to access to independence. Yet, the extent to which this framework ensures the right of self-determination in accordance with fundamental human rights can still be questioned. From a human rights perspective, the right of self-determination is not a one-time right. It is fundamental human right that applies in different contexts beyond decolonisation and which has implications not only for colonial countries and peoples but also for the population of all territories, including indigenous and minority groups. From this perspective, this contribution seeks to disentangle and analyse the different facets of self-determination in Greenland while considering the implications of the right based on the multifarious identity of the peoples living in the country as colonial people, citizens, indigenous and minority groups, including their claim to control mining resources.

Keywords

GreenlandInuitSelf-determinationIndigenous peoplesIndependenceUNDRIPMining activitiesInughuit
Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 56 , 2020 , e3
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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