THE UN REVIEWS SWEDEN HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION MARCH 9-10, 2016

TODAY, THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE WILL START THE EXAMINATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN SWEDEN. CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS, TOGETHER WITH 18 SWEDEN-BASED CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, SUBMITTED A SHADOW REPORT TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE AND WILL MONITOR THE SESSIONS LIVE IN GENEVA MARCH 9-10.

Sweden should focus attention on several significant human rights concerns, in particular with regards to the rights protection for minority populations and other vulnerable groups. More areas of concern are counter-terrorism measures, which are difficult to monitor to ensure that they conform with human rights standards, discrimination and violations of non-citizens human rights, and discrimination of people with disabilities.

CALL FOR INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTION

Civil Rights Defenders continously monitors the human rights situation in Sweden and agrees with the repeated UN recommendation to the Swedish government to create a strong and independant human rights institution. To date, 17 EU member states have operating human rights institutions. The UN has offered Sweden support in the set-up of an independant human rights institution that should monitor and ensure human rights obligations in Sweden. 

"The Swedish government should deliver on its promise to move ahead with the UN recommendation to create a strong and independant human rights institution in Sweden. We eagerly await action from the government", says Robert Hårdh, Executive Director, Civil Rights Defenders. 

Civil Rights Defenders Legal Team monitors the UN Human Rights Committee Session on Sweden in Geneva starting March 9 at 3 pm - 5 pm, concluding on March 10 at 10am - 3pm. 

 Read Civil Rights Defenders shadow report here

In response to the Human Rights Committee´s request, Civil Rights Defenders also submitted a joint report with Privacy International and the Association for Digital Rights and Freedoms (DFRI) in February 2016. Sweden has received repeated criticism on its surveillance programs from the Human Rights Committee and other UN agencies. Unfortunatley, Sweden has made little progress in responding to the criticism. 

GABRIELLE GUNNEBERG, PRESS OFFICER Email: gabrielle.gunneberg@civilrightsdefenders.org, Tel +46 76 326 76 52

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CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS IS AN INDEPENDENT EXPERT ORGANISATION FOUNDED IN 1982 IN SWEDEN, WITH THE MISSION TO DEFEND PEOPLE’S CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND EMPOWER HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT RISK WORLDWIDE. CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS HAS A PRESENCE ON FOUR CONTINENTS AND WORKS IN SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST REPRESSIVE REGIONS. BY WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL PARTNERS AND FOCUSING ON INNOVATION, OUR GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE CHANGE IN THE NAME OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
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