Joining Forces - Opening speech, Ove Karl Berthelsen

Joining Forces. 21 September 2011, Katuaq, Nuuk.
Opening speech, Minister for Industry and Mineral Resources Ove Karl Berthelsen.

On behalf of Naalakkersuisut I would like to bid you all welcome to this conference Joining Forces 2011 - Greenland Conference on Minerals and Oil. It gives me great pleasure to see the enormous interest in this conference from representatives from minerals and oil companies and from local Greenland and foreign companies. I hope this conference will provide inspiration for you all and that it will lead to fruitful future collaboration.

We – the Greenland society – are standing on the threshold of a new and exciting era with opportunities to develop a new business pillar. Interesting and challenging work lies ahead for us all and it is our job to ensure economic and environmental sustainability. Through collaboration on developing the minerals sector, Greenland enterprises as well as minerals and oil companies will contribute to positive economic development in Greenland.

Naalakkersuisut’s goal is to see the minerals sector develop into a central industry, similar to fisheries. And this must take place in a socially sustainable manner, so Naalakkersuisut wants development of the minerals sector to be by companies working on the basis of international standards within the environment, quality, health and safety, and so on. This means that the minerals and oil companies active here in Greenland will also have to ensure that their sub-suppliers and technical operators live up to the same international standards.

This involves huge challenges for Greenland enterprises and their employees. In Greenland we have companies which can supply products and services to the minerals sector, but their challenge lies in being able to do so, while also meeting international standards and safety procedures. It is also important that enterprises and their employees have the necessary knowledge, qualifications and certification.

But Greenland enterprises are facing other challenges. An important requirement of the Mineral Resources Act is that companies must use Greenland enterprises, if these have the skills necessary and if they are competitive. The tasks on offer from minerals and oil companies are often extremely large and complex. It will be hard for a Greenland enterprise to manage these tasks alone, and therefore partnerships with other enterprises inside and outside Greenland will provide our domestic enterprises with the experience they need, so that one day they will be able to carry out such tasks themselves.

The goal is for our Greenland enterprises to be increasingly competitive suppliers and partners in exploration and exploitation activities. So it is vital that we in Greenland are attentive to what the companies are looking for.

It is also important to recognise that we can’t do everything – yet. But we are well on the way. A good number of Greenland companies are already supplying goods and services to minerals and oil companies such as construction, drilling, transport, services and so on. But one thing we can do to enable us to take on even more tasks, is to join in alliances and collaboration partnerships. Collaboration is a fundamental requirement for us to carry out large and complex tasks linked to developing and operating mines and oil exploration activities.

The Mineral Resources Act also states that minerals and oil companies have to use Greenland labour as much as possible. We’ve also got a lot to learn here – but we are ready. We know that minerals and oil companies demand qualified labour within sectors in which Greenland’s workforce has relatively little experience. But we can build on the qualifications our workforce already have and help give them the boost they need to use their experience and knowledge in the new areas being introduced by the mineral resources and oil industries.

So, I hope very much that the conference will provide more knowledge about what is required to become suppliers of goods and services to minerals and oil companies. There will be opportunities for Greenland enterprises not just now, but for many years to come. As we develop our competences we will increase our opportunities. We will ensure that the Greenland workforce have a solid part in this development.

In this context it is Naalakkersuisut’s clear expectation that all Greenland and foreign companies make a special effort to use Greenland labour.

If we are to secure long-term involvement of Greenland society, upgrading the skills of the Greenland workforce is crucial. We’re not interested in being mere spectators.

In this connection I would like to mention the tripartite agreements we made with Cairn Energy in 2010 and 2011 – also known as IBA agreements. I expect all major projects in the future will contain analyses of the social impacts and that there will be agreements on involving the Greenland workforce and Greenland enterprises.

Today and tomorrow we will get an insight into how we in Greenland can best take up the challenges and develop to become competitive partners in this great development facing us all.

Once again, welcome everybody.