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36 Neth. Q. Hum. Rts. 3 (2018)

handle is hein.journals/nethqur51 and id is 1 raw text is: 




Column                                                           NQHR

                                                                 Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights
                                                                             2018, Vol. 36(l) 3-6
W    histleblow          ing    for                                        K TheAuthor s o,8
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sustainable, democracy                                           ae~ .. d ...,~ris ...
                                                                    DOI: 10.1177/0924051917753314
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                                                                                  OSAGE

Inger Hoedt-Rasmussen
Legal Human Academy; Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO), University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Dirk Voorhoof
Legal Human Academy; Human Rights Centre, Ghent University, Belgium




The many recent leaks and disclosures by whistleblowers have revealed massive shortcomings, if
not illegal activities, by important actors in society. The revelations by Bradley Manning (US
Army), Edward Snowdon (NSA) and Antoine Deltour (Lux-leaks), the Swiss, Panama and Para-
dise papers, and, more recently, hundreds of women revealing sexual abuse (#MeToo) show how
society apparently needs persons who are willing and dare to act in the public interest. Without
their personal courage these abuses of power and malpractices might still have been undiscovered.
Whistleblowers of all kind have helped to alert society to irregularities and practices that are
unacceptable for democratic societies and harmful for citizens.
   Transparency, to which whistleblowers can contribute, is crucial for effective and accountable
institutions at all levels and can help to reduce corruption, bribery and unlawful or unethical
activities. Democracy and justice, access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms
are all integrated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), especially in UN SDG 16
on 'Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions'.1 These broad visionary statements have a double aim.
They seek to secure fundamental freedoms and develop human rights in a sustainable framework.
Whether it is the one aim or the other, whistleblowers will play an important role in helping to
achieve these sustainable development goals.

Whistleblowing - internal and external
The analysis of the role of whistleblowers starts inevitably by defining the persons and actions
concerned. Definitions have been developed by international organisations either as binding legal


1. UNGA Resolution on Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (adopted 21 October
  2015) UN-Doe AIRES/70/1.


Corresponding author:
Inger Hoedt-Rasmussen, Legal Human Academy; Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO), University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-l 65, Denmark.
E-mail: Legal-human@mail.dk

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