Tagged: Denmark

According to Petsinclude, the government of Denmark is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with the Queen as the country’s head of state. The executive branch consists of the Queen, who is advised by the cabinet and is responsible for foreign affairs, defense and justice. The legislative branch consists of a unicameral parliament (Folketing) with 179 members elected for four-year terms. The judicial branch consists of local courts, appellate courts, a Supreme Court and other specialized courts. The Constitution guarantees basic rights such as freedom of speech, assembly, association and movement although these rights are often restricted in practice due to censorship or political instability. Citizens also have access to free public education up to university level studies along with universal healthcare services throughout the country. Poverty levels remain low with less than 10% of the population living below the poverty line. Women’s rights are well respected in Denmark and they enjoy equal access to education and employment opportunities as well as legal protection from gender-based violence such as rape or domestic abuse. In addition, minorities such as immigrants are protected from discrimination when it comes to accessing basic services such as healthcare or education. Denmark has long been a leader in international relations, making great strides in promoting peaceful coexistence, human rights, democracy and economic development. It is a member of the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and NATO, and is part of the Nordic Council. Denmark’s foreign policy focuses on fostering good relations with its neighbors and other countries around the world. Denmark maintains strong diplomatic relationships with many countries, particularly its neighbors in Northern Europe. It also has close ties with the United States, as well as China, Russia and India. Denmark is an active participant in international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In terms of regional cooperation, Denmark has been a member of the Nordic Council since its establishment in 1952. The council promotes cooperation between the five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland Iceland Norway and Sweden – on matters related to politics, economics and culture. The countries cooperate on issues such as energy security, climate change mitigation and Arctic governance. Denmark also plays an important role in global affairs through its involvement in UN peacekeeping operations around the world. Since 1988 it has contributed troops to more than 30 multilateral missions including those in Sudan/South Sudan; Somalia; Haiti; Liberia; Kosovo; East Timor; Afghanistan; Iraq; Mali; Lebanon; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); South Africa; Angola & western Sahara among others. Additionally, it contributes personnel to various EU operations including missions to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia (EU NAVFOR Atalanta) as well as support for border management operations within Europe itself (EUBAM). Finally, Denmark is an active participant on international development initiatives aimed at reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. It provides direct aid to various developing nations around the world through bilateral agreements or through its participation in multilateral institutions such as UN agencies or World Bank-led initiatives like The Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Additionally, it provides humanitarian assistance during times of crisis or natural disasters either directly or through contributions to global funds such as those administered by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or The International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement among others. See relationshipsplus for Denmark defense and foreign policy.