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Human Rights Council – Universal Periodic Review

For use of information media; not an official record

Date:Monday 2 May 2011 (Afternoon)

Country under review: DENMARK

Documents:   National report A/HRC/WG.6/11/DNK/1;
Compilation of UN information A/HRC/WG.6/11/DNK/2;
Summary of stakeholders’ information A/HRC/WG.6/11/DNK/3;
 
Troika: GHANA, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, CHILE

Concerned country - national report

  1. Denmark has recently made a contribution to the UPR Trust Fund for participation for an effective participation of developing countries in the UPR process.
  2. Participation of the Danish Institute of Human rights throughout the entire process.
  3. Denmark's national report includes the situation of Human rights in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
  4. Rate of foreigners coming for work or study has grown substantially.
  5. New plans, campaigns and research projects to combat discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin.
  6. Social exclusion in specific areas has been targeted through strategies against ghettos.
  7. Aims to secure housing for the 5,000 homeless people in the country.
  8. Indigenous people of Greenland represent a majority.
  9. Participation of Greenland in United Nations bodies such as the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council (Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues).
  10. New legislation on language policies and integration of the use of Greenlandic.
  11. Policies on improving Media public services (newspapers, TV and radio broadcasting)
  12. Greenland government has worked on Corporate Social Responsibility practises.
  13. Future participation on Children and Youth Strategy as national objectives.
  14. Lack of participation of women in national politics in Greenland and the Faroe Islands
  15. Adoption of seven core United Nations human rights treaties by the Faroe Islands.
  16. Action plan to fight violence against women and children.

Highlights

  1. Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights concerns at the increasing negative and hostile attitudes towards foreigners, racism and xenophobia cases.
  2. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has called upon Denmark to adopt a specific law on violence against women, including domestic violence.
  3. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are not yet bound by the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the Protocol to  Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
  4. Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
  5. National law shall incorporate in its practise the respect of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (freedom of expression and any other discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law).
  6. Accessibility for persons with disabilities (amending building regulations).
  7. Discrimination of people of Roma origin.
  8. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concern about conditions for family reunification.  

Interactive discussion
Number of States taking part in the discussion

  1. Member States: 21
  2. Observer States: 27

Positive achievements

  1. Efforts to address racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance.
  2. The new National Strategy to combat violence in intimate relationships
  3. Continued efforts to achieve gender equality.
  4. Development of employment opportunities for non-western immigrants and descendants.
  5. Danish Anti-terrorism legislation.
  6. 2010 Action Plan for ethnic equal treatment and respect for the individual.

Issues and questions raised

  1. Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
  2. Domestic violence still persisting
  3. National efforts to address the sexual exploitation of children, in particular child pornography and prostitution.
  4. Citizenship requirements for migrants and asylum seekers, detention of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
  5. Hostile attitudes and absence of respect for Islamic religious symbols and personalities.
  6. United Nations Refugee Agency's concerns about the reduced safeguards against refoulement in the current Aliens Act.
  7. Does the Danish institute for Human Rights have the power to inquire into complaints of violations of human rights or is its mandate solely restricted to research projects?
  8. What measures are taken to ensure the compliance of citizenship policies with international obligations?
  9. What are the plans to improve the situation of children seeking asylum?

Recommendations

  1. To enhance accessibility of the United Nations human rights system for all members of Danish society by translation into Danish of its UPR outcome.
  2. To review its legislation prohibiting discrimination to ensure equal protections on all grounds (political and economic sectors) including regional and federal island.
  3. To ensure that all acts of torture are specific offences under its criminal law.
  4. To promote and protect the rights of the Child and to monitor the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  5. Danish courts and administrative organs decision must be publically available and free of charge.
  6. To review its practise of resending foreign to regions where highly risk of persecution might appear (Principle of non-refoulement).
  7. To evaluate the consequences of CIA extradition flights from Danish territory.
  8. To improve measures of identification of victims of trafficking.
  9. To sign and ratify the international convention on the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.
  10. To implement its legislation to prohibit, prosecute and punish hate speech, incitement to hatred, and acts of religious profiling.
  11. To revise the proposed amendments to the Danish Aliens Act with respect to unaccompanied children seeking asylum
  12. To sign and ratify the Optional Protocol of the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
  13. Align national legislation for minimum age of criminal responsibility with the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s recommendations.

Response of the concerned country

  1. No necessity of a national human rights plan. New legislation will carry out implementation of human rights standards.
  2. Regarding the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Danish has found it inexpedient for the moment.
  3. Family reunification policies have been implemented for refugees and asylum seekers.
  4. Cases of accompanied minors have increased lately: the accompanying legal permit of the minor will expire when the minor turns 18 years old (adult).
  5. The ratification of the OP CRC has been presented to the Greenland Parliament.
  6. Domestic violence and protection of children are part of a new strategy plan to be presented to the Parliament.
  7. All religions and beliefs are respected.

Adoption of the report by the UPR working group scheduled on: Wednesday 04 March, 17:30 – 18:00

More information

  1. UPR:http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/upr-main
  2. Country under review (documents submitted):http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/upr-main

 

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