Third Secretary Roberto Soto Martínez, speaks on the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sweden. 49th session of the Human Rights Council’s UPR Working Group.

We welcome the delegation of Sweden.

We acknowledge the country’s commitment to the UPR and its cooperation in strengthening thematic initiatives within the Human Rights Council, such as the resolution on the right to food.

We urge Sweden to intensify efforts to combat institutionalized racial and religious discrimination as well as xenophobic statements made by public authorities.

We recommend:

1. Continue strengthening the implementation of the national human rights strategy adopted in 2016;
2. Implement the necessary measures to ensure the protection of the rights of national minorities and of migrants;
3. Comprehensively protect the rights of children, including preventing their recruitment by criminal gangs and ensuring the exercise of their criminal and procedural rights, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Fulfill annually the commitment to dedicate 0.7 percent of its Gross National Product to official development assistance.

We wish Sweden success in this review and in implementing the accepted recommendations.

Thank you.