COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCLUDES REVIEW OF REPORT OF SWEDEN

CESCR
27th session
13 November 2001
Afternoon





Homelessness is a Problem and a New Phenomenon
in Sweden, Delegation Says



The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon concluded its review of a fourth periodic report from Sweden after hearing a Government delegation saying, among other things, that homelessness was a new phenomenon in the country.

Responding to questions raised by Committee Experts, the delegation of Sweden said that homelessness was a problem in Sweden; it was a new phenomenon; surprisingly, the phenomenon did not increase during the 1990s; at least 8,000 to 10,000 persons were victims of homelessness. However, the definition of homelessness was not well defined because of the fact that people were not sleeping in the streets. A commission had been established to survey the size of the phenomenon within the Swedish society, the delegation added.

Committee Experts asked, among other things, about mechanisms to maintain the right to health in the context of current tendencies to privatize health care facilities and how that situation might affect vulnerable groups; education for Sami children; and if boarding schools were provided for them or if they roamed with their parents.

The Committee will issue its concluding observations and recommendations on the report of Sweden towards the end of its three-week session on 30 November. The Committee will adopt its observations in a private meeting.

Sweden is among the 145 States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and as such it has the obligation to submit periodic reports to the 18-member Committee for its consideration as the monitoring body of the implementation of the treaty. A nine-member Swedish delegation, composed of officials from different Government ministries, was on hand during two meetings to present the report and to answer questions raised by Committee Experts.

Over the course of the discussion, a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) observed that Sweden was actively supporting the principles of UNESCO and that it had effectively implemented the requirements for equal access to education by all.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 14 November, it will take up a fourth periodic report of Colombia.


Discussion

Responding to a question on social security decisions which could not be appealed, the delegation said that law would be repealed in the near future and the right to appeal would be restored. On the rights of domestic workers, the delegation said that the labour law on that category of workers had regulated their working hours and their right to weekly leave and a salary.

Asked what constituted a child within the context of pornography, the delegation said that the commission of a pornographic crime involving a child was punishable. The act of picturing a child in a pornographic manner was also considered as a crime. The crime should necessarily involve children under 18 years. A person whose pubertal development was not complete was to be considered as a child, regardless of age. During 2000, 217 cases of child pornography crimes were reported to the police; statistics on how many of those led to decisions in court had not yet been analysed; there were not judgements given from the Supreme Court concerning child pornography.

A question was asked about the duration of a divorce process to which the delegation said that any married person could ask for a divorce without presenting any reason to the court. The provision of divorce for married couples with children took around six months. If violence was involved, the couple did not continue to live in the same household while the process of divorce was underway.

Homelessness was a problem in Sweden and it was a new phenomenon, the delegation said. Surprisingly, the phenomenon did not increase during the 1990s. At least 8,000 to 10,000 persons were victims of homelessness. However, the definition of homelessness was not well defined because of the fact that people were not sleeping in the streets. A commission had been established to survey the size of the phenomenon within the Swedish society.

Approximately 70 cases had been decided in courts in connection with "gross violations of women's integrity" between 1 July 1998 and 31 December 1999, the delegation said. The most common combination of offences included in the court judgements was repeated assaults. Almost 80 per cent of the men had been sent to prison to serve just over fourteen years each.

Answering a question relating to forced sterilization, the delegation said that the war- time legislation on forced sterilization was a shame for Sweden and no explanation could be provided on what had promoted the promulgation of the law. However, no victims had claimed any prejudice committed against them in application of the legislation.

An Expert asked about the circumstances that could lead children to be placed in foster care, to which the delegation said the request to keep children in institutions could come from parents who sought temporary assistance or who declared their incapacity to raise their own children. In certain cases, where parents' behaviour became incompatible with child-rearing, the Government officials might intervene to separate the children from their parents.

Committee Experts asked, among other things, about mechanisms to maintain the right to health in the context of current tendencies to privatize health care facilities and how that situation might affect vulnerable groups; education for Sami children; if boarding schools were provided for Sami children or if they roamed with their parents; and how many "school-companies" with share-holders were there in the country?

Responding to the questions, the delegation said that a discussion was still going on concerning whether or not to privatize hospitals. Meanwhile, clinics and private medical doctors continued to run their institutions privately. With regard to elderly persons, most of them still lived in their own houses while 10 per cent lived in institutions.

The Swedish compulsory comprehensive education was nine years, free of charge, including meals and transport, the delegation said. There were State schools for the Sami children in their mother tongue. Boarding facilities could be provided upon request by Sami parents.

The issue of independent schools had generated a political debate in Sweden, the delegation said. Those schools were expected to be subsided through government funds in order that they were not segregated from State schools. At least 4 per cent of compulsory education students attended those independent schools free of charge. The financing of independent schools was regulated by the State, which also overlooked the educational system. The national agency for education examined independent schools to ensure they complied with legal requirements, and approved them and entitled them to municipal grants if satisfactory.

Immigrant children were offered instruction both in their mother tongue and in Swedish as a second language, the delegation said. The Government was now considering different ways to strength this policy.

There was no special educational system for children of nomadic people, as was the case in some European countries that had groups of "travellers", the delegation said, adding that education was provided to the Sami people.

Sweden was known for its strict alcoholic policies in Europe, the delegation said; no alcoholic consumption was allowed before the age of 18 years; and the sale of alcoholic beverage to persons under 23 years of age was restricted. The Government was also engaged in reinforcing its anti-narcotic laws through additional provisions.




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