UN Experts Condemn U.S. Statements on Greenland, Warn Against Threats to Sovereignty and Self-Determination

The experts warned that the rhetoric evokes colonial-era logic and directly contradicts the principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter.

United Nations human rights experts today expressed grave concern over recent statements by the President of the United States suggesting that Greenland could be placed under U.S. control, including remarks implying that force could be used to achieve such an outcome.

The experts warned that the rhetoric evokes colonial-era logic and directly contradicts the principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter.

“Assertions that a territory can be taken, controlled or ‘owned’ by another State in pursuit of national security or economic interests revive a logic of colonial domination that the international community has long rejected,” the experts said. “Such rhetoric raises deep concerns about the maintenance of a democratic and equitable international order rooted in human dignity and fundamental rights.”

Sovereignty and Use of Force Prohibited Under International Law

The experts noted that the U.S. President has repeatedly questioned the Kingdom of Denmark’s legal sovereignty over Greenland, describing U.S. “ownership and control” of the territory as an “absolute necessity,” including for national security reasons. They also pointed to statements by the U.S. Secretary of State informing Congress of intentions to “buy” Greenland.

“Any threat or use of force to alter the political status of Greenland or to challenge the sovereignty of another State is clearly prohibited by Article 2(4) of the UN Charter,” the experts said.

They warned that such statements risk undermining core international principles, including:

• The prohibition of the use of force

• Respect for territorial integrity

• Political independence of States

• The right of peoples to self-determination

“These statements are inconsistent with international human rights law and the UN Charter,” they said.

Right of Greenland’s People to Decide Their Future

The experts stressed that the people of Greenland constitute a distinct people entitled to the full exercise of their right to self-determination, a foundational principle of the United Nations.

“They have the right to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development—without external coercion or interference—and with full sovereignty over their natural resources,” the experts said.

They cited Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States has been a party since 1992, as well as Articles 3 and 4 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Risks to Arctic Stability and the Global Order

The experts warned that any unilateral attempt to alter Greenland’s constitutional status—currently an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark—would violate international law and risk destabilising the Arctic region, an area of growing geopolitical and environmental importance.

“Any change in Greenland’s constitutional status must be grounded in the freely expressed will of its people, not external pressure or threats,” they said.

They also raised broader concerns about what they described as a pattern of U.S. military aggression and coercive diplomacy, including attacks on sovereign States, extrajudicial killings, and the weaponisation of economic measures.

“If tolerated, such actions would normalise lawlessness in international relations and risk irreversibly undermining the global order,” the experts warned.

Call for U.S. Commitment to the UN Charter

The experts urged the United States to unequivocally reaffirm its commitment to the UN Charter, particularly the obligation under Article 2(3) to resolve international disputes by peaceful means.

They also stressed that any strengthening of the U.S. military presence in Greenland under the 1951 defence agreement with Denmark must only occur with the full agreement of Greenland’s authorities.

The experts confirmed they are in ongoing contact with the U.S. Government regarding these concerns.