Human Rights Council: 49th Session of the Universal Periodic Review - Sweden

Mr Vice-President,

We warmly welcome the delegation from Sweden.

We congratulate Sweden on steps taken since its last UPR, including the establishment of the Truth Commission for the Sami People and the creation of the Swedish Institute for Human Rights.

New Zealand recommends that Sweden:

1. Ensure the independence, broad mandate, authority and resourcing of the Swedish Institute for Human Rights to effectively conduct its work to safeguard human rights, including combatting racism and discrimination, and supporting persons with disabilities. 
2. Continue its efforts to combat gender-based violence, including by adopting the recommendation of the CEDAW Committee to improve efforts to identify and eliminate barriers preventing women from reporting violence. 
3. Strengthen measures to support the Sami people, particularly through early implementation of the findings and recommendations of the Truth Commission for the Sami People.

We thank the delegation for their participation today and wish them a successful review.

Thank you Mr Vice-President.