Denmark

Denmark adopted its fourth National Action Plan (NAP) in 2020 for the period 2020-2024. The main inter-ministerial working group for the NAP is composed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Defence, the Danish Ministry of Justice (the Danish National Police). All of these ministries will also develop implementation plans for the NAP. The NAP states that Denmark will invite all interested civil society actors to participate in NAP implementation, and this will be coordinated in the annual forum and through thematic working groups that will be developed. The overall goal of Denmark’s new action plan is to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace efforts (from prevention and conflict management, to peacebuilding and sustaining peace), and to incorporate the consideration of women and men’s equality, rights, interests, vulnerabilities and needs into all aspects of the work for sustainable peace. Several countries/regions are specifically highlighted in the NAP: Iraq, the Sahel region, Afghanistan, Syria, and Somalia.

Denmark’s fourth NAP is preceded by three other NAPs, adopted in 2005, 2008, and 2014 and implemented for the period 2005-2007, 2008-2013, and 2014-2019, respectively. Denmark’s second and third NAPs are significantly longer and more substantive than its first NAP. Furthermore, both the second and third NAPs have standalone sections dedicated to providing an overview of the “lessons learned” from the implementation of the previous NAPs. While the first NAP does not specifically identify actors involved in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the NAP, the second NAP places particular importance on the role of civil society and nongovernmental organizations in the implementation of the NAP. In particular, the NAP states that “broad national ownership of the revised NAP has been achieved through a substantial consultative process” (p. 33). Furthermore, the third NAP identifies working with women’s organizations “to ensure women’s representation in (i) peace and state building processes at community, regional and national levels and (ii) political, democracy and civil society processes and institutions” (p. 11) as a primary goal. 

Denmark reported on the implementation of its NAP in its national reporting for Beijing+25 and in preparation for CSW64 (2020). 

Denmark does not have a history of recent armed conflict, but is involved in overseas military operations, international peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions. In 2019, Denmark extended the suspension of its arms exports to include the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Saudi Arabia. 

Denmark is a major contributor to humanitarian aid, with Danish NGOs playing an active mission in the country’s humanitarian assistance framework. Denmark is a member of the Nordic Women Mediators Network, which was launched in 2015. Denmark is also a partner of the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to mitigate and provide accountability for gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies. 

At the multilateral level, Denmark most recently served as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2005-2006.   

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