Economic Affairs

2025 is an exciting year for the Mission’s work within the trade and labour field. Not only is Denmark a member (2024-2027) of the ILO’s Governing Body, but will also take over the responsibility of the European Union Presidency which implies a central role within the collaboration among EU member states on trade policy during the second half of the year. 

Denmark pursues increased international free trade as a means to achieve growth and increased employment on a global level. At the same time, we acknowledge that the poorest and least developed countries need support and transitional arrangements before they can fully integrate into the international trading system. In trade negotiations conducted within the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the member states of the European Union (including Denmark) have agreed to be represented by the European Commission, except when it comes to budgetary issues, as EU member states pay individual, national contributions.

Accordingly, Denmark collaborates closely with the European Commission, fellow EU member states, and other WTO members to further the multilateral trade negotiations as well as other plurilateral and multilateral negotiations. We actively engage in the normative WTO Committees that are relevant to our interests, ensuring that important developments from Geneva are communicated back to our domestic decision-making processes. This helps us ensure that Denmark´s interests are well represented on the global stage. 

Additionally, the Mission also assists Greenland and the Faroe Islands in furthering their interests in the WTO, and we have extensive cooperation with a number of Danish authorities in order to protect specific Danish business interests in a WTO context. The Mission also follows the work of the WTO Dispute Settlement Bodies in areas of particular importance to Denmark.

Geneva is also an important observation point for trends or developments in the trade area, including trade patterns and global value chains or supply chains, the digital economy, technological issues and globalisation more broadly. These developments may have an impact on Denmark. The mission is for these purposes following not just the work in the WTO in this regard, but also similar work in the framework of the World Economic Forum (WEF) based in Geneva, which produces valuable reports and organises a considerable number of meetings and networking events. 

Furthermore, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is playing a vital role in improving labour standards globally and ensuring decent work for all.