Compendium of Standards, Good Practices and Recommendations Country Procedure Duration Denmark An application is submitted to the Administration for Conscientious Objection, where the applicant signs to confirm that military duty is irreconcilable with their conscience. They then choose an institution where alternative service can be fulfilled. Equal length to military service Estonia Conscripts can apply to the Defence Recourses Agency, stating clear reasons for alternative service. The Agency will assess the reasoning of the application and has the right to inquire with the conscript’s referred religious organization, place of work or educational institution. 12 months, compared to military service of between 8 and 11 months314 Conscientious objection for members of regular armed forces While most OSCE participating States recognize that conscientious objection applies to conscripts, fewer countries recognize the right in the case of professional service personnel. Those that do include the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia and Switzerland.315 The UN OHCHR has pointed out that: “The application of the right to conscientious objection to persons who voluntarily serve in the armed forces is based on the view that an individual’s deeply held convictions can evolve and that individuals voluntarily serving in armed forces may over time develop conscientious objection to bearing arms.”316 In April 2006, PACE called on member states: “to introduce into their legislation the right to be registered as a conscientious objector at any time, namely before, during or after military service, as well as the right of career servicemen to be granted the status of conscientious objector”.317 314 “Compulsory Military Service”, Estonian Defence Forces website, http://www.mil.ee/en/defence-forces/ compulsory-military-service. 315 Responses to the ODIHR-DCAF 2018 questionnaire. 316 UN ECOSOC, OHCHR report 2004, op. cit., note 310, para. 26. 317 PACE, Recommendation 1742, op. cit., note 294, para. 9.7. 139