Sweden to be reviewed by UN Human Rights Council
In 2006 the UN General Assembly decided that, every four years, the then recently established Human Rights Council in Geneva would undertake a review of the fulfilment by each Member State of its human rights obligations through Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR). Through this procedure the General Assembly has deprived States the right to in any way avoid a review.
It is now Sweden's turn to be reviewed. The Government Offices welcomes the fact the United Nations Association of Sweden and several organisations have submitted information in connection with the review of Sweden as part of the UPR process. The UPR review process requires openness and consultation; before the summer, the Government Offices opened up avenues for an ongoing dialogue with NGOs to share in their proposals and views on the content of the national report to be delivered in February 2010. This dialogue with NGOs and other stakeholders will continue until the review takes place in May. The Government Offices will be holding a seminar on UPR during the Human Rights Days organised by civil society actors and held this year on 16-17 November at Stockholm International Fairs.
