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11 August 2000
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CERD
57th session
11 August 2000
Morning
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concluded this morning its consideration of a report presented by the Government of Sweden on how that country was complying with the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
During the morning meeting, the Swedish delegation provided responses to questions raised earlier by Committee experts, and said that, among other things, Swedish official statistics, like those of many other countries, did not contain data dividing people on grounds of ethnic origin. Not only would statistics of that kind be open to abuse, but most people would be likely to regard them as a form of discrimination.
Regis de Gouttes, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Sweden, said that the country had experienced an upsurge in xenophobia and racist groups which used violence in attacking minorities and immigrants. He urged that the Swedish Government should be vigilant and resolute in its fight against racism, and that it should take all preventive measures so that racism did not disrupt social peace.
Also taking the floor were Committee experts Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Yuri A. Rechetov, Ion Diaconu, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai and Marc Bossuyt.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Sweden will be issued towards the end of the Committee's four-week session which will conclude on 25 August.
The report was introduced yesterday afternoon by a five-member Government delegation. These officials, led by Lars Magnuson, Director-General for Legal Affairs of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were on hand throughout the two meetings to discuss the document and to answer questions put by Committee members.
As one of the 156 States parties to the Convention, Sweden must submit periodic reports to the Committee on how it implements the provisions of the treaty.
Towards the end of its morning meeting, the Committee started adopting its concluding observations on the report of Slovakia.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will continue to adopt its conclusions and recommendations on the reports of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which were considered during the current session.
Response of Sweden
In response to questions raised by Committee experts, the members of the Swedish delegation said that Swedish official statistics, like those of many other countries, did not contain data distinguishing people on the grounds of ethnic origin; not only would statistics of that kind be open to abuse, but most people would be likely to regard them as a form of discrimination; only estimates were provided in the report.
In order to enhance minority rights in the country, Sweden had adopted this year the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional and Minorities Languages, the delegation said. In addition, a bill had been passed by the country's parliament, the "Riksdag", to further protect national minorities and the regional and minority languages.
The traditional dualist policy with regard to international treaties did not hamper the implementation of the provisions of the Convention, the delegation said.
Sweden was still contemplating ratification of International Labour Organization's Convention 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples in independent countries, the officials said. In 1997, the Government had appointed a committee to look into the possibility and implications of Sweden's ratification of that treaty.
Concerning the situation of the Sami people, the Government was taking steps to identify the land to which the Sami had right to under the Convention, the delegation said; this included land which the Sami had occupied traditionally and land which they were traditionally entitled to use along with others; the second step involved establishing the scope of Sami hunting and fishing rights on the land which they occupied. In addition, the existing legislation on reindeer husbandry policy had been under review.
A Roma working group comprising Roma and high-ranking civil servants had been set up to enhance the status of the Roma in the society, the delegation said. Besides, a number of conferences had been held and efforts had been made to increase participation of Roma women in the community. Many municipalities had been carrying out activities which involved Roma people.
With regard to the situation of refugees in Sweden, the delegation said that the country had been renowned for its generosity and for its open-handed policy in hosting people persecuted in their own or in other countries. In collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Sweden had also authorized refugees to enter the country as part of a resettlement programme.
There was no institutional racial segregation in Sweden, the delegation said; however, in some urban areas, especially in the bigger cities, there was unintended residential segregation owing to group differences in income, sometimes combined with differences of national or ethnic origin.
A National Integration Office was established in 1998 with overall responsibility for ensuring that efforts were made to meet national integration policy objectives, the delegation said. It also monitored and evaluated the ethnic and cultural diversification of the society. A bill entitled "Sweden, the Future and the Plural Society - From Immigration Policy to Integration" had been enacted by Parliament, reflecting the national integration policy. At present 25 per cent of the Swedish population was of foreign origin.
In order to inform young people about the Holocaust and the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Second World War, Sweden had launched a project called "Living History", the delegation said. The project was intended to encourage discussion of issues relating to humanity, equality, and non-discrimination, among other things.
Taking the floor, some Committee experts made further comments on the report and on some of the remarks made by the delegation. One expert wanted to know if the "Living History" project was a diversified forum where incidents of genocide other than the Holocaust were focused. The expert asked if the genocide against American Indians was also included as part of information, or if it was only exclusively on the Holocaust.
Another expert found the report's use of "unlawful discrimination" incompatible with the spirit of the Convention. There was no question of lawfulness of discrimination, the expert said.
Responding to the question on the "Living History" project, the delegation said that the Holocaust was not the only subject being dealt with. Sweden had been a fervent opponent of apartheid and it had contributed in the fight against it. The Government was always enhancing tolerance in the society.
REGIS DE GOUTTES, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur on the report of Sweden, recalled that the Nordic countries, including Sweden, were well known for promoting tolerance in their societies. However, Sweden had experienced an upsurge in xenophobia and racist groups which used violence in attacking minorities and immigrants. While the economy was improving and growth resuming, the infiltration of racism in the social tissue was inadmissible. Change in mentality and economic change should bring tolerance in a society, and the role of the media in that issue was decisive.
Mr. de Gouttes stressed that the Government should be vigilant and resolute in its fight against racism, and that it should take all preventive measures so that racism should not disrupt social peace. In its future periodic report, the Government should include information on the justice system and the police; the demographic composition of the population; and economic, social and cultural indicators which would enable the Committee to evaluate the integration of minorities into the society.
* *** *
57th session
11 August 2000
Morning
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concluded this morning its consideration of a report presented by the Government of Sweden on how that country was complying with the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
During the morning meeting, the Swedish delegation provided responses to questions raised earlier by Committee experts, and said that, among other things, Swedish official statistics, like those of many other countries, did not contain data dividing people on grounds of ethnic origin. Not only would statistics of that kind be open to abuse, but most people would be likely to regard them as a form of discrimination.
Regis de Gouttes, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Sweden, said that the country had experienced an upsurge in xenophobia and racist groups which used violence in attacking minorities and immigrants. He urged that the Swedish Government should be vigilant and resolute in its fight against racism, and that it should take all preventive measures so that racism did not disrupt social peace.
Also taking the floor were Committee experts Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Yuri A. Rechetov, Ion Diaconu, Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai and Marc Bossuyt.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Sweden will be issued towards the end of the Committee's four-week session which will conclude on 25 August.
The report was introduced yesterday afternoon by a five-member Government delegation. These officials, led by Lars Magnuson, Director-General for Legal Affairs of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were on hand throughout the two meetings to discuss the document and to answer questions put by Committee members.
As one of the 156 States parties to the Convention, Sweden must submit periodic reports to the Committee on how it implements the provisions of the treaty.
Towards the end of its morning meeting, the Committee started adopting its concluding observations on the report of Slovakia.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will continue to adopt its conclusions and recommendations on the reports of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which were considered during the current session.
Response of Sweden
In response to questions raised by Committee experts, the members of the Swedish delegation said that Swedish official statistics, like those of many other countries, did not contain data distinguishing people on the grounds of ethnic origin; not only would statistics of that kind be open to abuse, but most people would be likely to regard them as a form of discrimination; only estimates were provided in the report.
In order to enhance minority rights in the country, Sweden had adopted this year the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional and Minorities Languages, the delegation said. In addition, a bill had been passed by the country's parliament, the "Riksdag", to further protect national minorities and the regional and minority languages.
The traditional dualist policy with regard to international treaties did not hamper the implementation of the provisions of the Convention, the delegation said.
Sweden was still contemplating ratification of International Labour Organization's Convention 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples in independent countries, the officials said. In 1997, the Government had appointed a committee to look into the possibility and implications of Sweden's ratification of that treaty.
Concerning the situation of the Sami people, the Government was taking steps to identify the land to which the Sami had right to under the Convention, the delegation said; this included land which the Sami had occupied traditionally and land which they were traditionally entitled to use along with others; the second step involved establishing the scope of Sami hunting and fishing rights on the land which they occupied. In addition, the existing legislation on reindeer husbandry policy had been under review.
A Roma working group comprising Roma and high-ranking civil servants had been set up to enhance the status of the Roma in the society, the delegation said. Besides, a number of conferences had been held and efforts had been made to increase participation of Roma women in the community. Many municipalities had been carrying out activities which involved Roma people.
With regard to the situation of refugees in Sweden, the delegation said that the country had been renowned for its generosity and for its open-handed policy in hosting people persecuted in their own or in other countries. In collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Sweden had also authorized refugees to enter the country as part of a resettlement programme.
There was no institutional racial segregation in Sweden, the delegation said; however, in some urban areas, especially in the bigger cities, there was unintended residential segregation owing to group differences in income, sometimes combined with differences of national or ethnic origin.
A National Integration Office was established in 1998 with overall responsibility for ensuring that efforts were made to meet national integration policy objectives, the delegation said. It also monitored and evaluated the ethnic and cultural diversification of the society. A bill entitled "Sweden, the Future and the Plural Society - From Immigration Policy to Integration" had been enacted by Parliament, reflecting the national integration policy. At present 25 per cent of the Swedish population was of foreign origin.
In order to inform young people about the Holocaust and the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Second World War, Sweden had launched a project called "Living History", the delegation said. The project was intended to encourage discussion of issues relating to humanity, equality, and non-discrimination, among other things.
Taking the floor, some Committee experts made further comments on the report and on some of the remarks made by the delegation. One expert wanted to know if the "Living History" project was a diversified forum where incidents of genocide other than the Holocaust were focused. The expert asked if the genocide against American Indians was also included as part of information, or if it was only exclusively on the Holocaust.
Another expert found the report's use of "unlawful discrimination" incompatible with the spirit of the Convention. There was no question of lawfulness of discrimination, the expert said.
Responding to the question on the "Living History" project, the delegation said that the Holocaust was not the only subject being dealt with. Sweden had been a fervent opponent of apartheid and it had contributed in the fight against it. The Government was always enhancing tolerance in the society.
REGIS DE GOUTTES, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur on the report of Sweden, recalled that the Nordic countries, including Sweden, were well known for promoting tolerance in their societies. However, Sweden had experienced an upsurge in xenophobia and racist groups which used violence in attacking minorities and immigrants. While the economy was improving and growth resuming, the infiltration of racism in the social tissue was inadmissible. Change in mentality and economic change should bring tolerance in a society, and the role of the media in that issue was decisive.
Mr. de Gouttes stressed that the Government should be vigilant and resolute in its fight against racism, and that it should take all preventive measures so that racism should not disrupt social peace. In its future periodic report, the Government should include information on the justice system and the police; the demographic composition of the population; and economic, social and cultural indicators which would enable the Committee to evaluate the integration of minorities into the society.
* *** *