Implementation issues

• Author: Justesen, Pia
• Pages: 84-85

84

8IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

8.1Dissemination of information, dialogue with NGOs and between social

partners

a)Dissemination of information about legal protection against discrimination (Article

10 Directive 2000/43 and Article 12Directive 2000/78)

In theory, the Ministry of Foreigners and Integration works to promote the integration

and equal treatment of ethnic minorities in Denmark. However, no information on

discrimination is found on the ministry’s website. On 27 June 2019, a new Social

Democratic Government came into power in Denmark. The new minister of Foreigners

and Integration removed the picture of a tracker on the ministry website counting the

number of times rules on foreigners and immigrants had been tightened by the previous

Government. The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior has the overall responsibility

for coordinating policies regarding disability.251

The DIHR serves as a specialised equality body, disseminating information about

discrimination and equal treatment. In its annual reports, the DIHR deals with selected

human rights issues and provides recommendations to promote the protection of general

human rights in Denmark.252 The latest status report on the issue of race and ethnic

origin is from June 2016. In this report, the DIHR describes how Denmark faces a

number of challenges in terms of implementing the principle of equal treatment and non-

discrimination when it comes to race and ethnic origin, including the high number of

ethnic minorities in Denmark who experience discrimination and the large salary gap

between non-Western immigrants and ethnic Danes.253 Furthermore, in the status report

on disability, the DIHR describes challenges around accessibility, education, labour

market and the use of coercion in psychiatry.254

The national integration barometer run by the Danish Ministry of Foreigners and

Integration documents that the proportion of immigrants and descendants of non-

Western origin who have experienced discrimination because of their ethnic background

has risen from 45 % in 2012 to48 % in 2018.255

b)Measures to encourage dialogue with NGOs with a view to promoting the principle

of equal treatment (Article 12Directive 2000/43 and Article 14Directive 2000/78)

Apart from the general work of the DIHR, no recent actions have taken place when it

comes to measures to encourage dialogue with NGOs.

c)Measures to promote dialogue between social partners to give effect to the principle

of equal treatment within workplace practices, codes of practice and workforce

monitoring (Article 11Directive 2000/43 and Article 13 Directive 2000/78)

No recent actionshave taken place when it comes to measures to promotedialogue

between social partners.

d)Addressing the situation of Roma and Travellers

There is no specific body to address current Roma issues in Denmark. The Roma and

Travellers population in Denmark consists of around 2 000 individuals and no current

general information has been found about the situation of Roma in Denmark. There are

251 See: https://english.sim.dk/responsibilities-of-the-ministry/disability-policy/.

252 DIHR (2020), Human Rights in Denmark – report to the Folketinget.

253 Seehttps://menneskeret.dk/udgivelser/etnisk-oprindelse-statusrapport-2015-16.

254 Seehttps://menneskeret.dk/udgivelser/handicap-status-2019.

255See https://integrationsbarometer.dk/udviklingsrapporter/hele-landet.html.