A United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed group of independent experts urged Sweden to step up efforts to fight systemic racism and focus on strategies to restore trust between the police and minority groups, Anadolu Agency reports.
The experts on advancing racial justice and equality -- Tracie Keesee, Yvonne Mokgoro and Juan Mendez -- held meetings and conducted interviews in Stockholm, Malmo and Lund, where they collected information on tackling racial discrimination, combatting systemic and structural racism, “excessive use of force” and other human rights violations by law enforcement and the criminal justice system against communities of color.
During the five-day visit, the members of the United Nations International Expert Mechanism met representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Council for Crime Prevention, the Offices of the Parliamentary Ombudsman and Equality Ombudsman and members of the Swedish Police Authority, Prison and Probate Services.
The Mechanism also met with members of the Swedish National Human Rights Institution, civil society representatives, researchers, academics and affected communities, as well as members of the Swedish Police Authority.