Ministry for Foreign Affairs

The human rights situation in Sweden was reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council at the end of January as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Sweden received 300 recommendations from other UN Member States. The Government has now communicated its position on the recommendations in a report to be submitted to the UN.

On 1 January 2021, Sweden will take over the Chairmanship of the OSCE for a period of 12 months. The assignment is a manifestation of Sweden taking responsibility for the OSCE, and also of multilateralism, peace and the upholding of the European security order.

We regret the announcement by the US Government of its intention to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, although we share their concerns about implementation of the Treaty clauses by Russia.

Heads of State, Government, and leaders from United Nations agencies, International Financial Institutions, civil society, private sector and research and learning are mobilizing around a call for the prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene in the response to COVID-19. Their joint statement:

In light of the continued uncertainty regarding international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MFA has extended the advice against non-essential travel from Sweden to all countries that was decided on 14 March 2020 until 15 July 2020. For countries or areas to which the MFA had advised against travel before 14 March 2020, these decisions still apply. The decision to extend the advice against non-essential travel from Sweden to all countries was taken on 13 May 2020. With this extension, the advice against travel applies until 15 July 2020.

Stockholm, 12 May 2020. Check against delivery.

Joint press statement by H.E. Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development of South Africa H.E. Mr. Peter Eriksson, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden H.E Mr. Gent Cakaj, Acting Minister for Europe & Foreign Affairs of Albania H.E. Mr. Felipe Carlos Solá, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade & Worship of Argentina H.E. Hon. Marise Payne, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Minister of Women of Australia H.E. Mr. Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Development Cooperation of Belgium H.E. Mrs Karen Longaric Rodríguez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia H.E. Ms. Bisera Turkovic, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers & Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina H.E. Ms. Maritza Rosabal Peña Minister of Education, Family & Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde H.E. Ms. Karina Gould, Minister for International Development of Canada H.E. Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus H.E. Mr. Tomáš Petříček, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic H.E Mr. Rasmus Prehn, Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark H.E. Hon. Mereseini Vuniwaqa, Minister for Women, Children & Poverty Alleviation of Fiji H.E. Mr. Ville Skinnari, Minister for Development Cooperation & Foreign Trade of Finland H.E. Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe & Foreign Affairs of France H.E. Dr. Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany H.E Mr. Nikos Dendias, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece H.E. Ms. Diene Keita, Minister for International Cooperation & Regional Integration of Guinea H.E. Ms. Emanuela Del Re Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Italy H.E. Ms. Ilze Vinkele, Minister of Health of Latvia H. E. Ms. Claudine Aoun, President of the National Commission for Lebanese Women of Lebanon H.E. Mr. Gbehzohngar Milton Findley Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, H.E. Ms. Katrin Eggenberger, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein H.E. Mr. Franz Fayot, Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of Luxembourg H.E. Mr. Tehindrazanarivelo Djacoba A. S. Oliva, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Madagascar H.E. Mr. Srđan Darmanović, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro H.E. Ms. Doreen Sioka, Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare of Namibia H.E. Ms Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade & Development Co-operation of the Netherlands H.E. Rt. Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand H.E. Mr. Nikola Dimitrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia H.E. Mr. Dag-Inge Ulstein, Minister of International Development of Norway H.E. Ms. Teresa Ribeiro, Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal H.E. Mr. Cornel Feruță, State Secretary for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania H.E. Ms. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, Minister without Portfolio responsible for Demography and Population Policy of Serbia H.E. Ms. Arancha González Laya, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union & Cooperation of Spain H.E. Dr. Ignazio Cassis, Foreign Minister of Switzerland . H.E. Hon. Simon Kofe, Minister of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu H.E. Ms. Liz Sugg, Minister for International Development & the Foreign & Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom and the governments of Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Peru, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Tunisia, Ukraine and Uruguay. Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Promoting Gender-responsiveness in the COVID-19 crisis

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance. The overarching goal continues to be preserving the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The strategy will apply until the end of 2023.

Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson and Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg. Published in Svenska Dagbladet on 20 April 2020.