Democracy and human rights

National statement delivered by Minister Counsellor Joakim Vaverka on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on the situation in Guinea-Bissau, 16 May 2018, New York.

National statement delivered by Ambassador Olof Skoog on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, 15 May 2018, New York.

Remarks delivered by Ambassador Olof Skoog on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Arria Formula Meeting on Religious Leaders for a Safe World, 24 April 2018, New York.

The Government is commencing a more systematic effort to safeguard – and thereby strengthen - the democratic discourse against threats and hatred. The work conducted by the judicial authorities is of importance, but not enough to protect the democratic discourse. This action plan, issued by the Swedish Government, is specifically intended to safeguard politically elected representatives, journalists and artists as a part of the infrastructure of the democratic discourse. These actors are particularly exposed due to the functions they have in society.

National statement delivered by Ambassador Irina Schoulgin-Nyoni on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Youth, Peace and Security, 23 April 2018, New York.

National statement delivered by Ambassador Irina Schoulgin-Nyoni on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Youth, Peace and Security, 23 April 2018, New York.

National statement delivered by Ambassador Irina Schoulgin-Nyoni on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on Liberia, 19 April 2018, New York.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Irina Schoulgin Nyoni on behalf of the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission Liberia Configuration to the United Nations Security Council, April 19, 2018, New York.

The global #WikiGap initiative has so far generated around 13 000 new or expanded biographies of prominent women on Wikipedia. More than 1 800 participants in almost 60 countries have been involved in WikiGap events, writing articles about women in more than 30 languages. Now all the material needed to organise a WikiGap event is being published in the hope that the project will live on through other actors.

Statement delivered by Sweden's Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy, Ibrahim Balyan on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Collective action to improve UN peacekeeping operations: Supporting greater impact and performance in today’s complex and high-risk Environments, 28 March 2018, New York.

In this Communication the Government sets out its ambitions and priorities for work on human rights, democracy and the principles of the rule of law in Swedish foreign policy. The Communication provides an account of trends in the world as a whole and the instruments that Sweden has at its disposal for action in this regard. It asserts that human rights, democracy and the principles of the rule of law must be an essential element in all Swedish foreign policy. The Communication also asserts that Sweden is to be a global leader in furthering, preventing and influencing developments in these three areas.

On 1 February 2018, International Law Day hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) brought together roughly 100 guests from academia, civil society, the justice system, embassies and government agencies. The theme of the day was ‘Sweden, the Security Council and international law’. One focal point was Sweden’s efforts in the United Nations Security Council to improve the protection of health care in armed conflict. Panelists included Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström and Dr Helen Durham, Director of International Law at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Within the framework of this strategy, Sweden’s development cooperation with Sudan is to contribute to sustainable peace, improved conditions for good public service delivery, and strengthened resilience. The strategy will apply in the period 2018–2022 and provide a total of SEK 1 200 million.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Carl Skau on behalf of Sweden and Kuwait at the Security Council Briefing on Syria, 28 February 2018, United Nations, New York.

National statement delivered by Ambassador Olof Skoog on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on ‘The situation in the Middle East including the Palestinian question,’ 20 February 2018, New York.

On 14 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström presented the 2018 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. Check against delivery.

In Yemen, one child dies every ten minutes because of extreme hunger and disease resulting from conflict. Close to 10 million children remain at risk; bearing the brunt of a crisis that they hold no responsibility for, or control over. In Syria, schools – where children should find safety – are regularly attacked; denying them both education and protection. Six million children in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance. Millions more are seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and beyond. And, despite the fact that over 115,000 children have been released from armed groups since 2000, children continue to be recruited as soldiers and used in conflicts. Children are the most vulnerable and suffer most from conflict. How they are treated has consequences not only for their own future, but for that of their communities and countries. Sweden has a tradition of working to strengthen the protection of children in conflict, and we are using our membership of the Security Council to further advance this work.

The overall objective of the Strategy for sustainable peace is to contribute to prevention of armed conflict, effective conflict resolution, sustainable peacebuilding and statebuilding, increased human security in fragile and conflict-affected states, and empowerment of women as well as of youth, children and other excluded groups in these situations.

The Swedish Government has adopted a new strategy for human rights, democracy and the rule of law that will apply to Swedish development cooperation between 2018 and 2022. The overall objective of the strategy is to contribute to secure, just and inclusive democratic societies that protect and respect the equal rights of all. The strategy will apply in 2018–2022 and covers the funds allocated in the appropriation directions of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Folke Bernadotte Academy for each budget year.

On 7 December, the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU hosted two panel discussions on women and girls in EU migration policy. The discussions provided input to political decision making processes in the field of migration.