global responsibility
For a country with fewer than 6 million citizens, Denmark plays an outsize role on the world stage when it comes to sustainable development and the fight for human rights. Denmark is also part of NATO, and the Danish military joins in international missions.
As a founding member of the United Nations, Denmark has committed itself for decades to a substantial role in the global fight for human rights and the eradication of poverty.
Denmark is one of only a few bilateral donors in the world that meets the UN goal for rich countries of providing a minimum of 0.7 of gross national income for development assistance.
A portion of Danish development aid is channelled through the UN, the European Union, the World Bank and other multinational bodies, while another portion is earmarked Danida, the Danish Development Assistance. Danida fights poverty and helps improve education in several developing countries.
In 2025 and 2026, Denmark will serve as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council. This is the fifth time Denmark has been elected to the Council. As a member of the Security Council, Denmark will work constructively and principled with other members of the Council with the cross-crutting priority of standing up for international law, including international humanitarian law, and advocating for a more accountable, effective, and representative Security Council. Further, Denmark has outlined three thematic priorities:
Get more info on Denmark’s seat in the Security Council.
Denmark is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and the Danish military participates in NATO coalitions and other group efforts to fight terrorism and further global peace and stability.
The Danish armed forces have a long tradition of delivering reliable and effective contributions in peacekeeping and related international missions. Denmark’s international engagement is multifaceted and includes the deployment of military personnel, police, and civilian specialists, including humanitarian rescue workers.
Denmark also engages actively in fragile states in order to ensure facilitate free and fair elections and encourage good government.
For 40 years, Denmark has met the UN target of setting aside 0.7 per cent of GNI for development assistance. Only few countries in the world meet this target.
Denmark is at the forefront of the fight for universal human rights and has ratified a wide range of intergovernmental human rights obligations.
The people of Denmark are also active players in achieving a world without torture as a leader in the cross-regional Convention Against Torture Initiative together with Chile, Ghana, Indonesia and Morocco. The idea is to help states ratify and implement the UN convention against torture as successfully as they can.
In its development efforts Denmark also works to uphold the rule of law and eradicate all types of discrimination - including gender discrimination - and promote respect for minorities and indigenous people.
Unique ideas help reaching the UN Development Goals
Denmark is actively pursuing the 2030 targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN which emphasise sustainable environmental development.
While Denmark will work to realise all 17 goals, it will strategically focus on the specific goals that reflect Danish values and capabilities: sustainable inclusive growth, education, equality, and peaceful societies.
