HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATISATION

The international community has reiterated the importance of democracy and human rights, including justice on numerous occasions and in several declarations, including the High Level Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 2005. The General Assembly noted that the promotion and protection of the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all are essential to advance development and peace and security and that the universal nature of these rights and freedoms is beyond question. Furthermore, world leaders considered that democratic and participatory governance based on the will of the people best assures these rights. Democracy is reaffirmed as a universal value with common features and based on the freely expressed will of the people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives.

Denmark is committed to contribute to the promotion of democracy and human rights, including justice in developing countries. The promotion of democracy and human rights is an objective in itself and it also stems from the overriding objective of Danish development policy, namely poverty reduction, where it cuts across all sectors and all other development assistance.

Over the past 15 years, Denmark has made a prominent contribution to the promotion of democracy and human rights. There are comprehensive thematic programmes in all programme countries except Egypt and the promotion of democracy and human rights form a key part of the assistance provided to countries in transition and fragile states. Human rights and democracy also figure as key cross cutting policy issues in Danish development assistance. The mainstreaming of human rights and democracy is compulsory in sector programme support.