The Danish MFA’s Whistleblower Mechanism

On this page you will find information about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ whistleblower mechanism. You can use the whistleblower mechanism to draw attention to unlawful or problematic conduct taking place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in both the overseas and home services.

How to report?

Before you report a matter to the whistleblower mechanism, please read the following paragraphs. At the bottom of the page, you will find a link that will take you to the portal where you can file a report.

Which matters are covered by the whistleblower mechanism?

The whistleblower mechanism may be used to report the following:

• Violations of EU law
• Criminal offences or breaches of other legislation
• Violations of administrative‑law principles or significant internal guidelines
• Gross harassment or sexual harassment

You should only report a matter to the whistleblower mechanism when you have concrete knowledge or a well‑founded suspicion that such serious matters have been committed.

Who is covered by the whistleblower mechanism?

You may use the whistleblower mechanism if you are a current or former employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including unpaid interns, or if you are a partner, including subcontractors, or employed by a partner with which the Ministry has a cooperation agreement.

If you are employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please note that the whistleblower mechanism is a supplement to direct and daily communication about conditions in the workplace. To the extent feasible, problems should initially be addressed by contacting your immediate line manager, HR, the employee representatives, or the occupational‑health representatives.

As a whistleblower, you are protected from work-related retaliation under LAW No. 1436 of 29 June 2021 – Act on the Protection of Whistleblowers (available in Danish here)

If your report does not fall under the remit of the Whistleblower mechanism, your report may, if relevant, be forwarded to other mechanisms or authorities.

Other reporting options

Please note that there are other available reporting channels which may be more appropriate than the whistleblower mechanism, depending on the content of your report and whether or not you are an employee of the MFA:

•  DANIDA’s anti‑corruption hotline

Can be used by anyone to report suspicion of irregularities or misuse of Danish development funds, e.g. by aid partners. Read more about the mechanism here.

•  Trade Council Compliance Team

Can be contacted by anyone to report suspicion of corruption or other financial crimes involving Danish companies abroad.

• The MFA central mailbox ([email protected])

Can be used by anyone to draw attention to unlawful or problematic conduct taking place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in both the overseas and home services. As opposed to the MFA Whistleblower Mechanism, this reporting channel does not require MFA affiliation.

• The National Whistleblower mechanism

Can be used by employees who wish to report matters concerning their workplace and who, for whatever reason, do not wish to use their employer’s own whistleblower scheme. The mechanism is administered by the Danish Data Protection Agency (Datatilsynet).

Make a submission through the whistleblowerportal