Greenland

Authorities and ministries

Naalakkersuisut, the Government of Greenland, has been ordered by Inatsisartut, the Parliament of Greenland, to develop an action plan81 for compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Parliament of Greenland has also ordered the Government of Greenland to draw up an action plan for monitoring the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2022.

Isumaginninnermut, Ilaqutariinnut Inatsisinillu Atuutsitsinermut Naalakkersuisoqarfik, The Minister of Health, Social Affairs and Justice in Greenland coordinates disability policy in Greenland.

Inatsisartut ombudsmandiat, The Ombudsman for the Parliament of Greenland, monitors compliance with law by self-government and the municipalities. The office has specific contact persons for children.

Tilioq, the institution for spokespersons for the disabled, is an institution that works to secure and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. Tilioq is a politically independent institution under Greenland’s self-government authorities. The institution comprises a spokesperson for persons with disabilities and a secretariat with three employees. The spokesperson is the manager of the secretariat and is employed and appointed by the Government of Greenland.

Meeqqat illersuisuat or MIO is a National Advocacy Centre working for Children’s Rights. MIO comprises a Spokesperson for Children who heads a secretariat with six permanent employees. The spokesperson is employed by the Government of Greenland and acts as a Spokesperson for Children for

a period of three years. A children’s council has been appointed to assist the Spokesperson for Children in developing strategies for children.

Inuusuttut inatsisartui, the Youth Parliament, is organised by the Bureau for Inatsisartut (the Parliament of Greenland). The purpose of the youth parliament is to provide young people between the ages of 18 and 24 with the opportunity to learn about and practice democratic processes. The participants are selected by the Bureau for Inatsisartut on the basis of several established criteria.

MISI is a municipal psychological educational advisory unit for parents and professionals relating to all children 0-18 years of age, with an emphasis on children with special needs.

Pissassarfik is a nationwide centre for the disabled under the Agency for Prevention and Social Affairs. Persons of all ages with disabilities can apply via the municipalities to visit the centre. The centre offers facilitated procedures providing habilitation and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities. The primary aim of the treatment is to help the individual become more self-reliant, and to increase quality of life.

Five municipalities; Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, Kommune Kujalleq, Qeqqata Kommunia, Kommune Qeqertalik and Avannaata Kommunia.

Civil society

Sorlak is a federation for the children’s and young person’s organisations in Greenland. Sorlak was the first children’s and young person’s organisation in Greenland and works to promote children’s rights and boost their opportunities for participation and influence.

Kalaallit Meerartaat, The Association for children in Greenland, works on projects to ensure that children and young people in Greenland have a safe childhood, have the opportunity to gain an education and to get involved and be heard in matters that concern them.

There are a number of organisations for children in Greenland, but none that focus on children with disabilities. Below are links to several organisations working with children:

• Kalaallit Røde Korsiat (Red Cross) • Red Barnet Grønland (Save the Children) • UNICEF in Greenland • Børnerådet’s organisation

NIIK and Kalaallit Nunaanni Innarluutillit Piginnaanikitsut Kattuffiat, KNIPK are two nationwide umbrella organisations for disabled persons. A web page providing a complete list of associations for persons with disabilities is provided on Tillioq homepage.

Greenland’s Council on Human Rights represents a number of organisations and individual authorities and public institutions. Evaluation and monitoring of human rights is carried out in co-operation with Denmark. Naalakkersuisut, the Government of Greenland, has stated their wish that the Danish Institute for Human Rights in Denmark acts as a national human rights institution for Greenland and Denmark. The institute assists the council with teaching related to various human rights issues, and the council provides the institute with good knowledge of the situation in Greenland.

One of the most important steps in the co-operation is a report on the status of human rights in Greenland. In addition, the institute also provides consultation responses on new legislation for Greenland with relevance to human rights.

Research and statistics

Børnetalsmanden, or the Spokesperson for Children (MIO), has prepared several reports from trips to various areas in Greenland. Some of these reports describe living conditions for children and young people with disabilities. Reports from trips carried out by Tilioq (the Spokesperson for Disabled Persons).