Small State Strategy in Practice: The Formulation and Execution of Danish Theories of Success in the United Nations Security Council, 2005–2006

Abstract

competence and the cultivation of personal contact with the P5 and the Secretary-General to be prerequisites for coalition-building. The second is the importance of establishing knowledge of contemporary conflicts, which would establish the competence of Denmark and possibly create acceptance of Danish positions on other issues. Third, the variety of ways employed by Denmark in building coalitions in 2005-2006 may also be relevant for 2025-2026 -a period likely to be dominated by more intense great power competition.In addition to the obvious importance of coordinating with P5 and the EU, Danish diplomats should carefully cultivate their relationship with relevant UN departments and the UN Secretary-General as well as the other elected members in order to build trust, to increase legitimacy, and to identify convergence of interests and opportunities for building support for Danish priorities. Moreover, this analysis illustrates that Danish practitioners would most likely benefit from developing specific theories of success on how to achieve specific goals in the UNSC when opportunity arises.