We put human rights front and centre
It is the mission at the Danish Institute for Human Rights to promote and protect human rights. As a national human rights institution, we have a mandate to work directly with state actors and companies also outside Denmark
“Working with state actors and companies at home as well as abroad enables us to create results in collaboration with our partners to strengthen human rights all over the world. In the annual report on 2019 we present some of these results. The work presented in the report is from before COVID-19, but we will draw upon our experiences and practical knowledge as we engage in the human rights dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Eva Grambye, deputy executive director and head of the international division of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
The annual report presents some of the many results we have contributed to in 2019.
In 4 chapters we present how:
1. We support state actors to create change in challenging environments
2. We promote human rights in the world of business
3. We enable national human rights institutions across the globe
4. We push the agenda of human rights and sustainable development goals forward
Demonstrating the value of human rights
We continue to see our role as showing HOW human rights are fundamental
for ensuring balanced, inclusive and durable solutions. Directly in line with the UN Secretary-General’s recent call: “to put human rights principles and mechanisms front and centre in the implementation of the SDGs”.
“In our work we show how a human rights-based approach is instrumental to realise the sustainable development goals. We have also demonstrated how making the police more accountable and transparent increases trust. And for the last 20 years, we have been showing how businesses should assess their human rights impact,” Eva Grambye says.
New challenges on the horizon
As the world is entering an era after COVID-19 we need to deal with the consequences of the pandemic responses.
“Some of the key human rights issues in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is to replace state of emergencies with good governance based on accountable and transparent institutions; ensuring legal protection during mass surveillance and generating growth and employment respecting labour laws and UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights. This will be a focus for our work going forward,” Eva Grambye says.
She adds that also other global challenges such as the climate crisis, migration and digitalisation call for human rights to be applied front and centre to ensure that no one is left behind. Therefore, the Institute will continue its work to remedy these global challenges.