The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (, , ) and its overseas representations (the Danish embassies, diplomatic missions, consulates and trade offices) are in charge of the

Danish Realm The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...

foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

and relations. Among these tasks are policy towards the

Arctic Council The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic region. At present, eight countries exercise sovereignty over the lands within the Arctic ...

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

Nordic Council The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well as from the autonomo ...

development aid Development aid (or development cooperation) is a type of aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social, and political International development, development of developing countries. It is distinguishe ...

trade policy A commercial policy (also referred to as a trade policy or international trade policy) is a government's policy governing international trade. Commercial policy is an all encompassing term that is used to cover topics which involve international ...

and legal affairs in relation to the outside world. The ministry services five distinct ministers: the

foreign minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

, the Minister for Nordic Cooperation, the

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment The Minister for Trade and Tourism is a portfolio in the Government of Australia, falling within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The position is currently held by Senator Don Farrell, sworn in as part of the First Albanese mi ...

, the Minister for European Affairs and the

Minister for Development Cooperation The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid () is a Minister without Portfolio (Netherlands), minister without portfolio in the Netherlands. The officeholder, who is a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands, Cabinet and the Council of M ...

. The ministry is led by the head of department and four directors.

History

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs first became its own institution in 1770 as the ''Foreign Service Department'' and was renamed ''The Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs'' in 1848. Before then, the diplomatic tasks were usually handled by brief individual missions, but the increasing complexity of diplomatic affairs necessitated the creation of a larger organization. The Ministry currently employs thousands of people at home and abroad. Its official role is to further Danish interests in a way that furthers the freedom, security and well-being of Danish citizens abroad, while working for peace and stability in the world. In practice, the organization helps Danish companies in their

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...

markets and Danish citizens in emergency situations abroad through close cooperation between the headquarters on ''Asiatisk Plads'' in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

and the representations abroad.

Involvement in the UN Oil-For-Food Programme

Accusations have surfaced that several high-profile Danish companies (including pharmaceutical company

Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsværd, with production facilities in nine countries and affiliates or offices in five. Novo Nordisk is controlled by majority shareholder Novo Holdings A/S ...

) had been bribing various Iraqi government and

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

officials in connection with the UN

Oil-for-Food Programme The Oil-for-Food Programme (OIP) was established by the United Nations in 1995 (under UN Security Council Resolution 986) to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary I ...

. According to a UN investigation, more than 2200 companies were involved in the bribery, among these 22 Danish companies, 17 of which are being investigated since 2005 by the State Prosecutor for Serious Economic Crime under the

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

. Some of these companies have since tried to pass on the blame to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alleging that they were encouraged by government officials to participate in the widespread corruption. The allegations have held sway in the media and among the liberal-

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

government's opposition in

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, who have also criticized the Ministry's unwillingness to comment the case openly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked together with the State Prosecutor to clarify any issues to absolve itself of blame. In 2007, after several classified documents were leaked to the press, the Ministry decided to release its answers to the questions posed by the State Prosecutor in an effort to protect its employees.

Danish Trade Council

The Danish Trade Council is a trade organisation within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that promotes Danish exports and investment abroad.

External links

Official website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of Foreign Affairs (Denmark) 1848 establishments in Denmark

Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...

Foreign relations of Denmark

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Denmark, Foreign Affairs

History

Involvement in the UN Oil-For-Food Programme

Danish Trade Council

See also

External links

References