Press release 11 January 2008
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality

UN High Commissioner Louise Arbour to visit Stockholm

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, will visit Stockholm on 14-15 January. Ms Arbour will meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt, Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson and Minister for Integration and Gender Equality Nyamko Sabuni.

Ms Arbour will also visit the Riksdag and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and meet Swedish NGOs.

On Tuesday Ms Arbour will take part in a seminar on freedom of expression arranged by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to mark the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Press invitation

Photo opportunity

Photo opportunity with Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.

Time and place:
Time: Monday 14 January 2008 at 16.30
Place: Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Gustav Adolfs torg 1, Stockholm

Breakfast seminar

Members of the media are invited to a breakfast seminar arranged by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson will participate. The moderator will be Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court Annika Brickman. Other participants will include the Chancellor of Justice, Göran Lambertz, and the President of the National Press Club of Sweden, Stig Fredrikson.

Time and place:
Time: Tuesday 15 January 2008, 9.00 - 11.00
Place: Rosenbad Conference Centre, Drottninggatan 1
Registration and coffee from 8.30

Please note: advance application is obligatory, no later than 11 January by email to Sara Finnigan at: sara.finnigan@foreign.ministry.se

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Louise Arbour (Canada) has been UN High Commissioner since 2004, when she succeeded Mary Robinson. The office of High Commissioner for Human Rights was established following a decision of the UN General Assembly in 1993. Ms Arbour was previously a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also been Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia.

The role of the High Commissioner is to draw attention to violations of human rights, promote general awareness of human rights and help coordinate UN activities in the area.

In 2005 a new Human Rights Council was established at the UN, replacing the former Commission on Human Rights.