Denmark’s first term of office in the UN Human Rights Council has expired after three years.
And Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod has been quick to celebrate the success of his debut.
Stops over our weight
Denmark used the opportunity of its membership to shape the global value agenda as much as possible by making improvements in the areas of children’s rights, civil rights, women’s empowerment, combating torture, opposition to child marriage and resistance to human rights violations of that kind. Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Belarus.
“Our membership has shown that we as a small country can make a difference,” Kofod clapped.
Delayed Christmas fun: The tsunami reserve finds good homes all over the globe
Denmark ended the year by allocating DKK 150 million in emergency aid. It came from its tsunami reserve – funds that are set aside every year if a very obvious recipient shows up. Burkina Faso (35 million), Horn of Africa (28.4), Myanmar (25), Somalia (25), Mali (20) and Palestine (15) were the largest recipients.
More funding to alleviate the suffering in Syria and the surrounding countries
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allocated DKK 130 million to Danish NGOs involved in emergency humanitarian efforts in Syria and neighboring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan. The money will be spent mainly on providing urgent humanitarian needs to women and children. The grant increased Denmark’s expenditure in the area in 2021 to more than DKK 750 million. The majority of the funds enable the work of the UN and Danish NGOs. While 90 percent of the Syrian population lives in poverty, a further 5.6 million live outside the country’s borders under serious circumstances. The Syrian conflict, meanwhile, has entered its 11th year without end in sight.
National police are officially investigating the Bahrain charges
The National Police are now officially investigating the revelations that it The Danish IT company Systematic has through a British subsidiary sold military software to Bahrain, which the dictatorship could potentially use to crack down on pro-democratic protests. First reported by TV2 and Danwatch, the Ministry of Justice has ordered the National Police to take action. It already examined Systematic’s exports to the UAE. An EU resolution warns companies in all EU Member States not to export military and surveillance equipment to oppressive regimes.
Another four years for NGOs in partnership with the government
Minister for Development Aid Flemming Møller Mortensen has signed four-year agreements with 18 Danish NGOs, which annually share DKK 1.264 billion to help some of the world’s poorest countries. The strategy, ‘Common about the World’, seeks primarily to prevent and combat poverty and inequality, conflict and displacement, irregular migration and fragility, and climate change. Of the 18 strategic partners, 16 were also partners from 2018-2021. The two new organizations are Verdens Skove and SOS Børnebyerne. DanChurchAid is the largest recipient, followed by the Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Red Cross.
Danish woman killed in Cairo suburb
A Danish woman has lost her life in Egypt. The 52-year-old is reportedly illegally killed in his apartment in the city of Sheikh Zayed just south of Cairo between Christmas and New Year. She had been living in Egypt since 2004. Early reports of the killing claimed the woman was in her 30s, but this has since been disproved. Her two adult sons confirmed her age after being notified of her death after New Year.
The highest tax burden in the world
Denmark has the highest tax burden of any OECD nation, according to a new report. The average burden per taxpayer is 46.5 percent, which puts it ahead of France (45.4). In the same assessment in 2018, Denmark came in second place. The average annual income in Denmark is around 290,000 kroner. ONE A Gallup survey among Danes in 2014 showed that almost nine out of ten were happy to pay the high tax.
Source: The Nordic Page