Sweden - Universal Periodic Review

UPR35, January 27, 2019
Recommendations by Canada

Overview

According to UPR Info, a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) that tracks the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, in the first two cycles of the UPR, Sweden received 208 recommendations, of which 138 were accepted (an acceptance rate of 66.3%). Canada’s previous recommendations to Sweden were related to the enforcement of existing laws prohibiting discrimination, preventing and responding to incidents of violence and intimidation against members of minority religious groups, and ensuring that perpetrators of hate crimes are brought to justice and proper redress is given to victims.

In Sweden, human rights are protected primarily through the Instrument of Government, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. The European Convention on Human Rights has been incorporated into Swedish law since 1995. Sweden has signed and ratified several human rights agreements within the UN, International Labour Organization and the Council of Europe. An equality ombudsman oversees Swedish efforts towards equal protection rights for all citizens. However, the UN has called for the ombudsman’s powers to be strengthened, noting problems with discrimination by police and correctional personnel.

The Swedish government presented a new national strategy for human rights in 2016, and adopted a national plan to combat racism and hate crime in 2017. The government has committed to establishing a national human rights institution, and in February 2019 a government-appointed enquiry presented a proposal for an institution to be set up by 2021. However, the government has yet to present a legislative proposal for the institution.

The Swedish government’s 2020 Budget Bill makes provisions for the special status of the Sami as Sweden’s Indigenous peoples, aiming to ensure the preservation of key elements of Sami identity. The government indicated that further steps are required to strengthen the Sami community’s right to self-determination through participation in decision-making processes, and confirmed its intention to establish a truth commission on the historical relations between the Swedish state and the Sami peoples, as a step towards achieving long-term reconciliation and healing.

Intervention

Thank you, Madame President.

Canada welcomes the Swedish government’s commitment to establish a fully independent human rights institution in line with the Paris Principles, and thereby advance the integration of Sweden’s international human rights obligations into Swedish law. We also note progress in respect of the rights of the Sami peoples,.

Canada recommends that Sweden:

1. Intensify efforts to eliminate inconsistent or discriminatory treatment of minority populations noting in particular vulnerable EU citizens, including the Roma.
2. Intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of hate speech and hate crimes based on ethnicity, religious belief, sexual orientation and gender expressions.
3. Build on efforts related to reconciliation through enhanced dialogue with all groups within the Sami community towards the implementation of the UNDRIP.