Checked Against Delivery
Thank you, Ms. Nicholas-Mackenzie.
And my sincere thanks to UN Women, the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, and above all to the Indigenous women leaders with us today.
For the Government of Denmark gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples are key priorities in both our domestic and foreign policy.
At the same time, we acknowledge that our current advocacy follows dark chapters of history.
For decades, beginning in the 1960s, women and girls in Kalaallit Nunaat [Greenland] were subjected to contraception without full consent or adequate information.
They experienced pain, humiliation and systemic discrimination. Most fundamentally, women and girls were denied the right to decide freely over their own bodies and their own futures.
In 2025, the Prime Minister of Denmark formally apologized for the injustice committed against Greenlandic women and girls. And the Government of Denmark committed ourselves to working together with Naalakkersuisut [the Government of Greenland] guided by truth, recognition, dialogue and reconciliation, for a better future.
An apology must also be followed by action. That is why the parliament in Denmark has recently adopted a compensation scheme for those affected, which will now be implemented. And Naalakkersuisut and the Government of Denmark are discussing how best to shed light on our shared history and support reconciliation.
We know that reconciliation requires listening, transparency and sustained action. And we know that we still have work to do.
That same principle guides our international engagement.
Indigenous women and girls must not simply be the subjects of decisions. They must have a voice, a seat at the table, and the power to shape those decisions.
This means ensuring that Indigenous women and girls are able to participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect their lives, from climate action and the protection of lands, territories and resources to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
At the United Nations, Denmark, therefore, works for enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and representative institutions, chosen according to their own procedures.
We advocate for increased recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination and their distinct status as rights-holders, including both individual and collective rights; as well as the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by Indigenous women and girls.
We work to avoid the conflation of Indigenous Peoples with local communities, as such conflation risks obscuring the distinct rights of Indigenous Peoples under international law and weakening their recognition as rights-holders.
And we support the human rights mechanisms that hold all of us accountable, such as the Universal Periodic Review and special mandate holders.
We hope to continue working with all of you to shift these norms and standards.
We also translate these commitments into action through our development cooperation.
Through our partnerships with the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs and the Inuit Circumpolar Council, Denmark supports Indigenous women’s organizations across the world, including by strengthening Indigenous women’s leadership, supporting community-led action against gender-based violence, improving access to justice, and helping Indigenous women bring their voices to national and international decision-making forums.
Our partnerships include dedicated funding for Indigenous women and girls, ensuring that their own organizations have the resources to identify priorities and lead change in their communities.
On this first International Day, let us therefore celebrate the leadership of Indigenous women and girls.
And let us listen and support them.
Thank you.
