Abbreviations  4

Abstract  5

Introduction  6

The tips of two icebergs: an analytical framework  10

Global and country level trends in torture and corruption since 2000  13

Definitions  13

Global trends  15

Partner country trends  16

The difficulties in tracking trends  17

Denmark's fights against torture and corruption abroad: changing contexts, policies and capacities since 2000  18

Denmark: a self-proclaimed global pioneer in the fight against torture and corruption  19

Denmark as a selective norm entrepreneur: the (geo)politics and soft power of fighting torture and corruption  20

Multiple UN conventions, declarations, monitoring bodies and recommendations  23

Denmark's development aid: changes in contexts, interests and capabilities  25

Proliferation and flux in Denmark's strategies, policies and guidelines  26

Say and do  31

Bilateral activities to fight torture and corruption abroad  32

Changes in funding since 2000  33

Country-level funding and the severity of torture and corruption  37

C-cases  39

Evaluations of interventions through programmes and projects and through NGOs and civil society  40

Conclusions: from ambitions to realities on the ground  42

International level activities  42

Promoting changes to norms through UN conventions: UNCAT, OPCAT and UNCAC  43

Promoting norm-application through periodic international reviews: UPR and IRM  49

Dialogue and sanctions: promoting the fight against torture and corruption  57

Conclusions  60

Better ways: between self-perceptions and realities  60

Answers to the research questions  60

Seven better ways  62

Appendixes  66

Appendix 1. Denmark's partnership countries  66

Appendix 2. Using V-Dem to track corruption and torture  67

Appendix 3. OECD's Credit Reporting System: tracking funding for anti-torture and anti-corruption activities  70

Appendix 4. Sanctions involving Denmark against its partner countries, 2000-2023  73

References  75