Name: John
Country: The Kingdom of Denmark
Committee: Human Rights Council
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “no one shall be subjected to torture or
to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Although this doctrine was
adopted in 1948, the world has fallen quite short of this goal. Violence against women
pervades all states and it is the duty of the international community to ensure that all persons
are afforded equality and respect. Despite cooperative efforts at combating gross human
rights abuses, such as the adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, the United Nations has not been able to alleviate the injustice women worldwide
experience daily.
The Kingdom of Denmark believes that in order to end violence against women, nations must
look to empower women in all aspects of society. This includes promoting equal gender roles
in government, civil society, education and business. However, Denmark also recognizes the
need to combat human rights abuses against women as they occur, and no nation is immune
to gender violence.
In 2002, the Danish Government launched an extensive action plan to combat domestic
violence against women. The plan includes measures to help treat abused women, identify
and prosecute the perpetrators, and incorporate professional medical and psychological staff
into the rehabilitation process. The action plan currently reaches out to both governmental
and nongovernmental groups on the local level throughout the nation. The Danish Centre for
Human Rights in Copenhagen, Denmark’s foremost national human rights institution also
promotes and protects human rights. Based on the Centre’s research, Denmark’s parliament
can promote human rights-based legislation and education/awareness programs throughout
the nation.
The Centre also addresses the UN Commission on Human Rights annually regarding
human rights developments in Denmark and internationally. Denmark has no record of
committing major human rights violations, most importantly any targeted at women. In its
2003 Annual Report, Amnesty International also found no human rights violations against
Danish women.
Women are invaluable to Denmark’s society and have achieved significant economic and
social gains in the 20th century. Currently, 75 percent of medical students in Denmark are
women. Denmark is confident that this Commission can bring about an end to violence
against women without compromising the sovereignty of member states. Education
remains perhaps the most useful tool in protecting victims of gender-based violence.
Governments, UN agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can plan a
coordinated campaign that educates national populations on the various ways women are
violently targeted. Similarly, harmful traditions, such as honor killings and female genital
mutilation, must be stopped by reforming traditional views of women in society. Children
of both sexes need to be taught at an early age to value the rights of women in order to
prevent such violence in their generation.
Another way to stop gender violence would be to reproach member states that consistently
violate treaties such as the Convention on Political Rights of Women (1952), the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979), and the
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993). Although this Committee
cannot impose sanctions, it can pass resolutions verbally condemning states that commit
human rights violations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights can also meet with
representatives of governments that violate the above treaties to discuss possible solutions.
In order to prevent gender violence, nations must work together to build a culture of
support, equality and community. As such, the Kingdom of Denmark looks forward to
offering its support, in whatever form possible, to nations firmly committed to ending
violence against women in all its forms.
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