Government policy

In spring 2023, Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers). This means that Sweden will lead the work in the Council. “Sweden is to be a professional and efficient president that acts in the common interest of the EU,” says Minister for EU Affairs Hans Dahlgren.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a landmark international treaty and the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament architecture. Launched in Stockholm in June 2019, the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament aims to promote a successful outcome of the 10th Review Conference of the NPT through building political support for a pragmatic and result-oriented nuclear disarmament agenda.

Countries adhering to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises support and promote standards for responsible business conduct through National Contact Points (NCPs). Sweden’s NCP is a tripartite collaboration between the State, the business sector and worker organisations.

In 2022 it will be fifty years since the first United Nations conference on the human environment – the 1972 Stockholm Conference. The Government of Sweden will host a UN, high-level meeting in June 2022 to commemorate this anniversary. The aim is to contribute to accelerating a transformation that leads to sustainable and green economies, more jobs, and a healthy planet for all, where no one is left behind.

Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) is conducted at both military and political level and includes cooperation on training and exercises, logistics, international operations and defence equipment. The Chairmanship rotates between the Nordic countries.

Sweden's most far-reaching defence cooperation is its cooperation with Finland. The two countries have similar security policies, and they both wish to expand their already extensive defence cooperation. Sweden interacts with Finland both bilaterally and within existing multilateral forums such as the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO), the European Union, the United Nations and NATO.

#WikiGap is a Swedish initiative that gathers people around the world to add more content to Wikipedia about women figures, experts and role models in various fields. So far, #WikiGap has resulted in more than 50 000 edited articles that have reached a total of more than 100 million views. Thanks to #WikiGap, more women and their achievements are being made visible on the internet.

Sweden aims to be a leading knowledge nation and one of the world’s foremost research and innovation countries. The goal is for education and research at higher education institutions to maintain high international standards.

Sweden’s ambition is to be the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation. Currently, the transport sector accounts for almost one-third of green house gas emissions in Sweden. It is the sector in Sweden with the best chances of quickly being able to transition to become fossil free. Therefore, it is vital that the transport sector shift. To achieve this, the entire transport sector must come together, and both the public and private sectors must do their share. The Swedish Government is taking strong action in many areas, which is crucial to ensure a sustainable future but also of benefit to Sweden’s competitiveness around the world.

Swedens climate policy framework framework is the most important climate reform in Sweden’s history and sets out implementation of the Paris Agreement in Sweden. By 2045, Sweden is to have zero net emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The Government wants to strengthen Sweden’s innovative capacity and climate for innovation so as to contribute to sustainable development and establish conditions to create new jobs throughout the country.

Gender equality is a matter of human rights, of democracy and of justice. The Government’s overall policy will redistribute power and resources for a more gender-equal society; the aim is for women and men to have the same power to shape society and their own lives.

"Generations before us have built one of the richest and fairest countries in the world. Our task is to build a stronger nation – one that can make the transition to a new era. We must ensure that our children inherit a sustainable, safe and equal society." Prime Minister Stefan Löfven Read about the Swedish Government’s policies and practices to achieve progress in key areas.

The Government's efforts to fight crime include introducing law enforcement measures today and preventive measures for the future. In Sweden, everyone should feel safe and secure, regardless of where they live.

The objective of the Government’s innovation partnership programmes is to identify innovative solutions to major challenges facing society and to contribute to Sweden’s competitiveness. In July 2019 the Government presented four themes that form the basis for the partnership programmes in 2019–2022. The themes are based on Sweden’s strengths and on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Climate neutral industry; Skills supply and lifelong learning; Digital transformation of industry; and Health and life sciences. The innovation partnership programmes bring together small and large companies, universities and higher education institutions, civil society and public sector actors to jointly set priorities for what needs to be done to meet the challenges within the four themes.

The Swedish carbon tax was instituted in 1991, alongside an already existing energy tax, and it remains a cornerstone of Swedish climate policy. Over time, the carbon tax has increased in importance, contributing to a broad range of environmental and climate objectives.

Sweden has a fundamentally sound pension system, whose unique design attracted much international attention when it was adopted in the 1990s. Several countries, inspired by the Swedish pension system, have now reformed their own.

Sweden has extensive defence cooperation with other states and organisations. This cooperation is an integral part of the solidarity-based security policy upon which Sweden builds security together with others. International defence cooperation contributes to strengthening Sweden’s military capabilities to be able to respond to an armed attack.

The OSCE is a security policy cooperation body with 57 participating States. The OSCE’s activities are based on a broadly defined view of security that includes military arms control, human rights, rule of law and democracy. Sweden is chairing the OSCE in 2021.

The Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism – Remember-ReAct – was held on 13 October 2021. The participants included heads of state and government, international organisations and social media platforms, all invited by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. The programme focused on four main themes: Holocaust remembrance; Holocaust education; Antisemitism on social media platforms; and Combating antisemitism and other forms of racism in all spheres of life. During the conference, many concrete pledges were made to strengthen Holocaust remembrance efforts and to combat racism.