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Contribution by the Government of Denmark on United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/71/195 – Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against, persons based on religion or belief.
Introduction
The following contains the contribution of Denmark in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/71/195, and is compiled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of contributions from relevant ministries.
The contributions deal with the implementation of the resolution and steps taken to combat intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against, persons based on religion or belief as set forth in the resolution.
Article 7 (a), (b) and (f):
Reference is made to the contribution by the Government of Denmark on United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/157.
Article 7 (c):
The basic education for police students at the Danish Police Academy includes an obligatory course concerning hate crimes, which means that new officers from the police districts receive training in the handling and registration of hate crimes. Part of the purpose of the training is to enable future police officers to understand, spot and handle hate crimes in an appropriate manner while also gaining an understanding of the most common victim groups of hate crimes, for example through casework assignments.
Furthermore, some police regions have initiated local outreach initiatives. For example, Funen Police has in 2014 initiated partnerships with a number of local advocacy groups representing some of the social groups that are most commonly victimized by hate crimes. A key purpose of the partnership is to improve the police’s skills in handling and advising victims of hate crimes.
In spring of 2015 the overall national responsibility for the prevention of and fight against hate crimes was transferred to the Danish National Police from the Danish Security and Intelligence Service. The National Police has since initiated a national monitoring of hate crimes to secure a valid and continuous overview of the area. This initiative will provide knowledge about the actual extent of hate crimes and developments in the area. This knowledge is presented in an annual publication on reported hate crimes. In addition, the National Police has developed a one day training program for law enforcement officers on dealing with hate crimes. The training includes presentations from the state attorney and different civil society organizations. The first training day was held in February 2017 and will in the future be offered as continuing and further education for law enforcement officers from the individual police districts in Denmark.
Furthermore, the Director of Public Prosecutions has the main responsibility for the training and education of the entire Danish prosecution service. Most of the training is done in short intense 1-4 days courses with teachers recruited from the prosecution service itself and external teachers recruited from consultancy firms, the courts and private law firms.
In all courses – both the mandatory courses for prosecutor trainees and optional courses for all prosecutors – international legislative obligations and human rights issues are often an important part of the content. Thus, latest jurisprudence regarding human rights and other international legislative topics are implemented in all courses of relevancy.
Additionally, the guidelines issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions on the processing of cases of hate crimes which apply to both prosecutors and police officers have recently been revised as part of a project on modernization of the professional communication of the Prosecution Service. The revised instruction includes chapters specifically directed at the police regarding circumstances that the police should be aware of in connection with the investigation of cases of hate crime. The guidelines are enclosed.
The Director of Public Prosecutions office also offers to host theme days or lectures on demand on any topic – including human rights – which a local part of the prosecution service might find to be of relevance. Furthermore, the Director of Public Prosecutions office continuously evaluates the needs for specific training in all areas – including human rights.
Article 8 (a)
Reference is made to the contribution by the Government of Denmark on United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/157.
Article 8 (b)
In Denmark, freedom of religion or belief is constitutionally guaranteed. This entails a right to form religious communities without prior approval of the state. An approval is only necessary if the religious community or congregation wants to obtain certain special advantages, such as the right to perform marriages with civil validity in Denmark or the possibility to deduct contributions from the annual tax declaration.
The Established Church is awarded a special status in the Danish Constitution, according to which the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of Denmark, and as such supported by the state. The Danish government is aware of the importance of protecting the rights of religious communities other than the Established Church. A committee on religious communities has in 2017 finished a report on the possibility of introducing a comprehensive regulation of the conditions for the religious communities other than the Established Church, including the criteria and procedure for granting acknowledgement and the legal effects of this approval.
The Danish Constitution provides freedom of religious belief and assembly, while Danish law at the same time prohibits any kind of discrimination based on religion or belief.
Reference is also made to the contribution by the Government of Denmark on United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/157.
Article 8 (d)
When carrying out criminal investigation the Danish Police are obliged to follow Danish legislation prohibiting any kind of discrimination on the basis of e.g. faith, race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. It is considered of great importance to teach students at the Police Academy to combat and prevent ethnic profiling, including religious profiling, and to avoid discrimination of any kind when conducting investigation as well as other law enforcement activities.”