Denmark–Palestine relations
Encyclopedia
Denmark–Palestine relations refers to the current and historical relations
between Denmark
and Palestine
. Denmark has a representative office in Ramallah
. Palestine has a General delegation in Copenhagen
.
(Enhedslisten) is a supporter of an independent Palestinian state.
Denmark does not recognize the State of Palestine
, but in December 2010, Palestinian National Authority
asked Denmark to recognize the state with the 1967 borders. In January 2011, Denmark with Norway
said that they will soon recognize the State of Palestine, and On 9 March, Mahmoud Abbas
visited Denmark for the first time, to discuss bilateral relations between Denmark and Palestine. During the visit, Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen
stated that Denmark was not considering recognizing the State of Palestine. On 29 May, the Social Democrats
revealed that if they win the next parliamentary election, they will recognize the State of Palestine. In August, it was still unknown if Denmark would vote no or yes for an Independent Palestinian state in the United Nations.
On 15 September, the Social Democrats won the 2011 Danish elections, and expressed support for the Palestinian membership in the UN, but waited for a joint decision in the European Union
.
On 22 September, hundreds of Danes
demonstrated in front of the Folketing
. The Palestinian ambassador to Denmark said: "This recognition will enhance Danish-Arab relations and will reflect support of the Danish people for the Palestinian bid to UN".
On 31 October, Denmark abstained from voting in the resolution for Palestine in the UNESCO
.
, 19,000 Palestinian refugees fled to Denmark. 1000 of them was from Lubya
.
, a Danish national, was Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) from 1996-2005.
In 1978, Hansen joined the United Nations
as Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning and Coordination. Between 1985 and 1992, he served as Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations. In March 1994, he took over the post of Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
. He also served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee established to follow up the Washington Conference
in support of the Middle East
peace process.
Hansen was appointed Commissioner-General of UNRWA by UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
on January 20, 1996 and took office on March 1, 1996. His term ended on March 31, 2005 and he retired from United Nations service. Hansen had been critical of Israeli actions and UN sources said the US had opposed his reappointment.
On October 1, 2004, Israel again lodged accusations against UNRWA. The Israeli Defence Forces released unmanned aerial vehicle
s and video documenting what they initially claimed was a group of Palestinian militants load a rocket into UN-marked vehicle. Israel announced its intention to file a strong complaint against UNRWA and demand that Danish
diplomat Peter Hansen, UNRWA's head, be removed from office.
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
between Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Palestine
State of Palestine
Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
. Denmark has a representative office in Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
. Palestine has a General delegation in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Recognition of the State of Palestine
The Danish Red-Green AllianceRed-Green Alliance (Denmark)
The Red-Green Alliance is a socialist political party in Denmark.- History :The party was formed in 1989 as an electoral alliance by three left-wing parties, Left Socialists , Communist Party of Denmark and Socialist Workers Party...
(Enhedslisten) is a supporter of an independent Palestinian state.
Denmark does not recognize the State of Palestine
State of Palestine
Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
, but in December 2010, Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
asked Denmark to recognize the state with the 1967 borders. In January 2011, Denmark with Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
said that they will soon recognize the State of Palestine, and On 9 March, Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
visited Denmark for the first time, to discuss bilateral relations between Denmark and Palestine. During the visit, Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen is a Danish politician and member of parliament who has been Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs since 23 February 2010 and was leader of the Conservative People's Party and Deputy Prime Minister from 9 September 2008 to 13 January 2011...
stated that Denmark was not considering recognizing the State of Palestine. On 29 May, the Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
revealed that if they win the next parliamentary election, they will recognize the State of Palestine. In August, it was still unknown if Denmark would vote no or yes for an Independent Palestinian state in the United Nations.
On 15 September, the Social Democrats won the 2011 Danish elections, and expressed support for the Palestinian membership in the UN, but waited for a joint decision in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
On 22 September, hundreds of Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
demonstrated in front of the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
. The Palestinian ambassador to Denmark said: "This recognition will enhance Danish-Arab relations and will reflect support of the Danish people for the Palestinian bid to UN".
On 31 October, Denmark abstained from voting in the resolution for Palestine in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Danish development assistance
Denmark provides assistance to the occupied Palestinian Territories in the following three ways.- Denmark continues to participate in the peace process, promoting the Roadmap for Peace among other initiatives. The PLO’s Negotiations Affairs Department is on such peace building initiative which Denmark supports.
- Denmark supports the creation of a sovereign, democratic, and peaceful Palestinian state. Denmark currently supports organizations which are bringing about the preconditions for these ideals, such as fighting corruption, increasing human rights, and ensuring free and fair elections.
- Denmark seeks to improve the living conditions in Palestine through supporting private sector development. Denmark is currently supporting smaller local councils in the JeninJeninJenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
area through amalgamation and capacity buildingCapacity buildingCapacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
. An increase in economic integration between the West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and Israel is also a goal of the Danish.
Palestinians in Denmark
In the 1980s, During the Lebanese Civil WarLebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
, 19,000 Palestinian refugees fled to Denmark. 1000 of them was from Lubya
Lubya
Lubya was a Palestinian Arab town located ten kilometers west of Tiberias that was captured and destroyed by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
.
Peter Hansen
Peter HansenPeter Hansen (UN)
Peter Hansen , a Danish national, was Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East from 1996-2005.-Academic career:...
, a Danish national, was Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza...
(UNRWA) from 1996-2005.
In 1978, Hansen joined the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
as Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning and Coordination. Between 1985 and 1992, he served as Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations. In March 1994, he took over the post of Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs....
. He also served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee established to follow up the Washington Conference
Washington Conference
Several significant conferences have been held in Washington:*Washington Naval Conference: meeting between representatives of 9 nations with interests in the Pacific; November, 1921 and February, 1922....
in support of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
peace process.
Hansen was appointed Commissioner-General of UNRWA by UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
on January 20, 1996 and took office on March 1, 1996. His term ended on March 31, 2005 and he retired from United Nations service. Hansen had been critical of Israeli actions and UN sources said the US had opposed his reappointment.
On October 1, 2004, Israel again lodged accusations against UNRWA. The Israeli Defence Forces released unmanned aerial vehicle
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s and video documenting what they initially claimed was a group of Palestinian militants load a rocket into UN-marked vehicle. Israel announced its intention to file a strong complaint against UNRWA and demand that Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
diplomat Peter Hansen, UNRWA's head, be removed from office.
See also
- List of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East employees
- Denmark–Israel relationsDenmark–Israel relationsDenmark–Israel relations refers to the bilateral relationship between Denmark and Israel. Relations between the two states are close. Denmark voted for the partition of Palestine in 1947 and supports Israel in the United Nations. In Jerusalem, there is a monument to the rescue of Danish Jews and a...
- Ahmad Abu LabanAhmad Abu LabanAhmad Abu Laban was the leader of the organisation called the Islamic Society in Denmark and a central figure in the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy....
- United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine