Background

The UN Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, Ms. Cecilia Bailliet, will conduct a country visit to Denmark (including Greenland) from 8 to 18 April 2024 to assess the situation and the compliance of the right and duty of international solidarity, including the legal framework in place, the progresses, challenges and opportunities for the promotion of international solidarity.

For that, she will hold discussions with government officials, the National Human Rights Institution, parliamentarians, members of the judiciary, civil society actors, human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, lawyers, members of the academia, as well as any other actors relevant for that matter.

Objectives

At the end of her visit, the Independent Expert will present an end-of-mission statement which includes preliminary conclusions and recommendations for the State and non-State actors to implement. The full mission report will be presented at the Human Rights Council’s (HRC) 59th session in June 2025.

Key questions and types of input sought

The Human Rights Council in its resolution 53/5, broadly defines the mandate of the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity as the promotion of “the realization of the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity.” In order to pursue this goal, the Independent Expert is authorized inter alia “to seek views and contributions from Governments, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations.” As per the same resolution, the Human Rights Council requested that all States, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations mainstream the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity into their activities, cooperate with the Independent Expert in his or her mandate, and supply all necessary information requested by the mandate holder, and requested that States give serious consideration to responding favourably to the requests of the Independent Expert to visit their countries to enable the Independent Expert to fulfil his or her mandate effectively.

Country visits are an important method of promoting the Independent Expert’s mandate. They focus on the collection of information, study and observation regarding the policies and actual practices of States that are relevant to the Independent Expert’s mandate. Country visits are conducted in a spirit of cooperation and dialogue with the concerned Government. The general objective for the Independent Expert is to gain first-hand understanding of issues related to the experience and practice of human rights and international solidarity, including efforts made and challenges remaining.

The objectives of the Independent Expert’s visit would be:

1. To examine and report on the nature and scope of development cooperation and other solidarity activities, policies, and mechanisms in Denmark (including Greenland).
2. To engage in dialogue with the Government, civil society, and development agencies on their efforts to implement cooperation and solidarity at the international and national levels.
3. To identify practical solutions and good practices in international cooperation conductive to the realization of human rights, including economic, social, and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights in Denmark (including Greenland).
   For that purpose, the Independent Expert will meet with national, regional and international stakeholders involved in all aspects related to human rights and international solidarity, including State officials and entities, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, and academics, in order to seek their views and contributions on human rights and international solidarity in Denmark (including Greenland).

While all submissions are welcome and the topics below are not meant to be exhaustive, the Independent Expert is particularly interested in receiving information from civil society actors and all interested stakeholders with regards to:

• Good practices in relation to the realization of the right and duty of international solidarity, including development cooperation, support for gender equality, and non-discrimination policies. Is solidarity taught within the school system?
• Challenges in the implementation of the right and duty of international solidarity (including expression of international solidarity), whether abroad, in the digital sphere, or within the country.  Are groups subject to surveillance, harassment, defunding, restriction, limitation, or penalization for their engagement in solidarity activities? Or does the state empower civil society engagement in solidarity actions and expressions?
• Scope of enjoyment of solidarity by and with women’s groups, youth groups/students, indigenous peoples, minorities, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, peace activists, LGBTQ activists, environmental/climate change activists, etc. Which mechanisms exist for civil society to present solidarity demands to state and non-state actors (such as corporations)?
• Identification of emerging issues affecting the realization of international solidarity rights, to discuss or seek clarification from the government.

How and where to submit inputs

You do not need to answer all the questions above, but you can focus on the ones relevant to you. If you reply after the deadline of 15 March 2024, your submission will not be considered during the country visit but will be taken into account for the report of the Independent Expert before the Human Rights Council in 2025.

Treatment of inputs received

Submission will be considered during the country visit and will be taken into account for the Independent Expert’s report before the Human Rights Council in 2025.

For more on information on the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity and the activities of the mandate please click on the site:
Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity | OHCHR