Democracy and human rights
Human rights are universal and apply to everyone. They establish that all human beings, irrespective of country, culture and context, are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Democracy policy includes general elections, measures to strengthen and protect the individual’s opportunities for influence, and measures to promote and guarantee respect for human rights. Human rights, democracy and the rule of law will also permeate all Swedish foreign policy.
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News about democracy and human rights
Historic investment to combat racism and strengthen equal rights for LGBTI people
The Government is making several investments to combat racism and strengthen the rights of LGBTI people. The Government is strengthening the national plan to combat racism and hate crime with SEK 10 million per year from 2020. At the same time, the work to strengthen the rights of LGBTI people will receive SEK 14 million per year from 2020, and temporary additional funds of SEK 10 million per year are planned for 2021 and 2022. It is the biggest ever investment in the area by any government.
School trips to Holocaust memorial sites
Photo: LUKASZ KALINOWSKI/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK/TT The Government proposes extending and strengthening the support for history and remembrance trips, so that more schools can make trips to Holocaust memorial sites, such as Auschwitz, and other concentration camps. This entails a further SEK 5 million being allocated for history and remembrance trips in 2020, and that SEK 6 million is allocated annually during 2021 and 2022.
In the Budget Bill for 2020, the Government, together with the Liberal Party and Centre Party, puts forward several proposals to strengthen democracy, culture and sports throughout Sweden. Here you can learn more about some of the proposals within the Ministry of Culture’s budget areas.
Content about democracy and human rights
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Equal rights and opportunities for LGBT persons in Sweden
In recent years, a number of reforms have been introduced in order to secure equal rights for LGBT persons. There has also been a positive societal development regarding these issues which has helped to ensure a better situation for LGBT persons in Sweden. However, LGBT persons, in particular transgender persons, still face difficulties in Sweden. The government is therefore taking further measures for equal rights for LGBT persons. You can find out more about these measures in the leaflet in the link on the righthand side of this article.
· Article from Ministry of Employment
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Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström at the UN Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa
National statement delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa, 10 July 2018, New York.
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19 updated country reports on human rights, democracy and the rule of law – some positive developments but still a long way to go
Today, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs publishes new, updated country reports on human rights, democracy and the rule of law, covering 19 countries in the Americas, Central Asia and Eastern Europe in which Sweden has a permanent presence. The reports are written in Swedish and can be found on the Government’s website.
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Safer world for women and girls in focus at European Development Days
The European Development Days is a development forum that the European Commission has organised since 2006. This year’s theme was gender equality under the thread ‘Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development’.
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Swedish statement at the UN Security Council Briefing on MINUSMA
National statement delivered by Ambassador Carl Skau on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on MINUSMA, 14 June 2018, New York.
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Swedish Explantation of Vote at the UN Security Council Adoption of Resolution 2421/UNAMI
Explantation of Vote delivered by Ambassador Carl Skau on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Adoption of Resolution 2421 (2018), renewing the mandate of UNAMI, 14 June 2018, New York.
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Working for women’s rights more difficult in many countries
According to a new report from the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, the space for women’s rights defenders is shrinking in many countries. On 5 June, Sweden’s Permanent Representation to the European Union showcased the report at a meeting with the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation and other organisations working in the area.
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International conference in Stockholm on men and gender equality
On 15–16 May, Sweden and Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Lena Hallengren hosted the 4th International Conference on Men and Equal Opportunities (ICMEO) in Stockholm. Among the 300 participants were several European gender equality ministers, researchers and representatives of government agencies and civil society. The role and responsibility of men and boys in gender equality efforts was in focus, as well as how we change social norms that have negative effects.
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Swedish statement at the UN Security Council Briefing on the situation in Burundi
National statement delivered by Ambassador Olof Skoog on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on the situation in Burundi, 24 May 2018, New York.
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Swedish statement at the UN Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa
National statement delivered by Ambassador Irina Schoulgin Nyoni on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa, 23 May 2018, New York.
