Whistleblowing for sustainable democracy
| DOI | 10.1177/0924051917753314 |
| Author | Dirk Voorhoof,Inger Høedt-Rasmussen |
| Date | 01 March 2018 |
| Published date | 01 March 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Column |
Column
Whistleblowing for
sustainable democracy
Inger Høedt-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
Corresponding author:
Inger Høedt-Rasmussen, Legal Human Academy; Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO), University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-1165, Denmark.
E-mail: Legal-human@mail.dk
1. UNGA Resolution on Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (adopted 21 October
2015) UN-Doc A/RES/70/1.
Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights
2018, Vol. 36(1) 3–6
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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