Greenland

The Greenlandic society is facing major upheavals where mineral extraction and mining can offer new opportunities. At the same time Greenland is struggling with social and structural problems. A Greenlandic-Danish collaboration focuses on the fact that human rights are part of the solutions.

What we do

Naalakkersuisut – the government of Greenland – has requested that the Danish Institute for Human Rights (the Institute) shall be national human rights institution in Greenland like the institute is in Denmark. This means that we shall evaluate, promote and monitor human rights in Greenland.

The work is done in cooperation with the Human Rights Council of Greenland, which represents a number of organizations and a few authorities and public institutions. In this context the Institute assists the council with sparring and training on various human rights issues, and the council assists the Institute with well-informed knowledge of the conditions in Greenland.

One of the main steps in the collaboration is a report on the status of human rights in Greenland, which is published regularly. It contains recommendations on how adherence to human rights can be improved.

Additionally the Institute delivers statements on draft legislation of human rights relevance circulated for comment, and we include human rights in Greenland in our reporting on human rights issues to international bodies, e.g. the UN.

Partners

The Human Rights Council of Greenland
The National Spokesperson for Children (MIO)
The Court of Greenland