Danish Institute for Human Rights

What Danish Institute for Human Rights does

The Danish Institute for Human Rights is Denmark's National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), established by law and operating as an independent public non-profit since 1999. Headquartered in Copenhagen at Wilders Plads 8K, the Institute is statutorily mandated to promote and protect human rights both domestically and internationally, and is led by Director Louise Holck (who also chairs the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions, ENNHRI). It serves governments, other NHRIs, businesses, civil society, indigenous communities, and individuals, with operational reach spanning more than 20 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania.

The Institute's core 'product' is a portfolio of open-access methodologies, digital monitoring tools, and guidance frameworks rather than a unified technology platform. Notable offerings include the National Baseline Tool on Business and Human Rights (available in English, French, and Spanish), the Indigenous Navigator Tools Database, the Right to Defend Rights Monitoring Tool, the Human Rights Impact Assessment Toolbox, the Sector Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) methodology, the SDG 4.7 Human Rights Education Monitoring Tool, the LGBT+ Barometer, the Disability Index, and the Human Rights and Business Country Guides (23 country guides across 15+ countries). These tools are largely self-service web platforms that structure data collection, indicator reporting, and policy benchmarking for human rights practitioners.

The Institute operates a sales-led, project-based go-to-market model funded almost entirely by the Danish government and international development donors including DANIDA, the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, the U.S. Department of State, and the EU. All services, publications, and tools are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Historically, the Institute also ran bilateral advisory engagements with multinational corporations (Nestlé 2010-2020, Total S.A. until 2020, TeliaSonera 2012), but it phased out private-sector advisory work in 2021 and concluded its joint venture Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB, with IHRB) at the end of the 2024 funding cycle following political instability in Myanmar.

Name

Danish Institute for Human Rights

Legal name

Danish Institute for Human Rights

Website

https://humanrights.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Danish Institute for Human Rights is Denmark's National Human Rights Institution, established by law in 1999. It provides free research, advisory services, and digital monitoring tools to governments, NHRIs, businesses, and civil society globally, funded primarily by the Danish government and international development donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Human rights advisory
• Human rights research
• Capacity building services
• Human rights monitoring
• Human rights assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: The Danish Institute for Human Rights operates as a national human rights institution funded primarily by the Danish government. It receives additional funding through development cooperation agreements, international organizations, and project-based grants from development agencies.
2. Development Cooperation and Grants: The Institute receives funding from Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, U.S. Department of State, and other international donors for specific projects and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Danish Institute for Human Rights is Denmark's National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), established by law in 1999. It provides advisory services, research, and capacity building to advance human rights nationally and internationally, working with governments, businesses, and civil society to promote and protect human rights.

Product overview

The Danish Institute for Human Rights offers a portfolio of human rights monitoring tools, guidance frameworks, and educational resources rather than a unified technology product. The portfolio includes online monitoring tools (National Baseline Tool, Right to Defend Rights Monitoring Tool, SDG 4.7 HRE Monitoring Tool), assessment methodologies (Human Rights Impact Assessment Toolbox, Sector Wide Impact Assessments), country guidance resources (Human Rights and Business Country Guide), analytical frameworks (Climate Change and Human Rights Analytical Framework, Human Rights and Environment Explorer), and educational platforms (Learning Hub on Human Rights). These tools serve national human rights institutions, governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and rights holders to promote and protect human rights through monitoring, assessment, and capacity building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Baseline Tool An online self-assessment tool that helps National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) map the national human rights situation against international standards, providing a comprehensive baseline for monitoring and action.
• Right to Defend Rights Monitoring Tool A digital tool developed to monitor the state of civic space and the right to defend rights. It supports civil society organizations and NHRIs in tracking threats to civic space, documenting violations, and generating evidence for advocacy and reporting.
• Human Rights Compliance Assessment (HRCA) Quick Check A self-assessment tool for businesses that enables quick evaluation of human rights risks and impacts across operations and value chains. It helps companies understand their human rights footprint and identify priority areas for action.
• Advisory and Consultancy Services Professional advisory and consultancy services provided to governments, national human rights institutions, businesses, and civil society on integrating human rights into laws, policies, and practices. Services include policy advice, legislative review, and strategic guidance.
• Capacity Building and Training Structured training programs and capacity building services designed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of NHRIs, government officials, businesses, and civil society organizations on human rights issues, including the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA).
• Human Rights Research and Publications Original research, thematic reports, and analytical publications produced by the Institute covering national and international human rights issues, business and human rights, and emerging human rights challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 26,000 marginalized and vulnerable people received legal aid through DIHR-supported project in Rwanda
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Human Rights and Equality Institution of TürkiyecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed April 2026 to cooperate in areas of mutual interest, including promoting human rights-based migration governance in Türkiye.
• United Nations Statistics DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Hosting the second UN Expert Group Meeting on Citizen Data organized by UN Statistics Division. The meeting reviewed and operationalized the Conceptual Framework on Citizen Data addressing challenges in data quality and building trust.
• Indigenous Navigator ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative initiative with Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), ILO, International Work Group on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Tebtebba Foundation, and Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development, supported by the European Union.
• Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Joint initiative to establish Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) as a joint initiative of IHRB and Danish Institute for Human Rights. MCRB developed Sector Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) methodology and engaged in dialogue on legal frameworks and business guidance in Myanmar from 2013 to 2024.
• Ukrainian OmbudsmancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013First memorandum of understanding signed between Danish and Ukrainian national human rights institutions in 2013. Ongoing cooperation including study visits, support for Ukrainian military ombudsman office, and democracy strengthening initiatives.
• TeliaSoneraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership for support and review of TeliaSonera's corporate human rights work established in 2012.
• NestlécoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership to integrate human rights into Nestlé policies and procedures through review of policies and conducting Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs) in country operations. Included 7 HRIAs methodology development. Partnership ended December 2020.
• Total S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership to support Total in implementing corporate commitment to respect human rights. Included advice on human rights due diligence, capacity building, HRIAs, Papua LNG assessment, and country-specific risk analyses. Partnership ended 2020.
• Social Accountability International (SAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership through 'Pillars in Practice' programme to advance UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights in Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe. Consortium includes SAI, UniRSE (Nicaragua), CSR Centre (Bangladesh), Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
• DansifminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Dansif to facilitate a human rights network for ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) practitioners.
• European Center for Not-For-Profit LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop guidance on fundamental rights impact assessments for high-risk AI systems under the EU Artificial Intelligence Act.
• Swedfund (Swedish Development Finance Institution)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to support Swedfund's human rights due diligence in Ukraine, focusing on conflict-sensitive approaches to investment.
• The Danish National Centre for Social Research (SFI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned SFI to conduct survey for qualitative analysis of Greenlanders' experiences with Danish public sector, involving 1,000 citizens of Greenlandic descent.
• Centro Regional de Empresas y Emprendimientos Responsables (CREER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint sector-wide impact assessment of wind energy sector in La Guajira, Colombia, supporting just transition in the region.
• Kenya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in launching analysis of human rights risks in Kenyan coffee value chain through Sector Wide Impact Assessment report.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/menneskeretdk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Danish Institute for Human Rights