National Safety Mechanisms - Denmark

The Danish National Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (Dansk handlingsplan for sikkerhed for journalister) started in 2022. The plan covers journalists and media workers.

What activities are carried out?

Several measures are planned to address the safety of journalists: 1) Designated stakeholders will oversee monitoring breaches on safety of journalists through the creation of a dedicated email and also by the submissions of a semiannual report; 2) Designated stakeholders are in charge of engaging in dialogue with victims in cases of police investigation.

How is it implemented?

The National Action Plan’s goals are twofold: 1) To ensure a proactive approach in Denmark to create a safer environment for journalists; 2) To send a clear signal to other countries both in Europe and globally that as many countries as possible should participate, to ensure much-needed improvement in the safety of journalists worldwide.

Who are the stakeholders?

The National Action Plan is an agreement between government agencies (namely the National Police, the Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Culture and The Danish National Commission to UNESCO), the media industry, and other stakeholders to improve journalists’ safety. The Plan established that day-to-day tasks are managed by the Danish Union of Journalists (DJ) and Danish Media (DM) on an alternate basis every year. International Media support is also part of the agreement. The implementation will be reviewed by all stakeholders semiannually.