United Nations Human Rights Website - Treaty Bodies Database - Document - Sessional/Annual Report of Committee - 1. Introduction 215. The third periodic report of Sweden was submitted on 9 August 1996, in accordance with the reporting schedule under the Convention. It conformed fully to the requirements laid down in the reporting guidelines. In addition, the Swedish representatives drew the Committee's attention to relevant developments since the completion of the report. The Committee and the Swedish representatives engaged in a frank and open discussion of the report. 2. Positive aspects 216. The Committee takes note with satisfaction of the revised law relating to refugees, as well as the way in which the Swedish Government now offers protection to many displaced persons who would not technically be identified as refugees under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.4 217. The Committee is also pleased to acknowledge the way in which Sweden provides material and political support for the rehabilitation of the victims of torture, both within the country and internationally. 3. Factors and difficulties impeding the application of the provisions of the Convention 218. Because Sweden adopts a dualistic theory of incorporation of international treaty norms into its domestic law, the provisions of the Convention against Torture require enabling legislation before they become part of Swedish domestic law. The continued failure of Sweden to do this renders the full implementation of the Convention's terms more difficult. 4. Subjects of concern 219. The Committee is concerned about the continued failure of the Swedish Government to incorporate into its domestic law the definition of torture, in accordance with article 1 of the Convention. 220. It is also concerned about the use of "restrictions", some leading to solitary confinement for a prolonged period of time, for persons held in pre-trial detention centres and prisons. 221. The Committee is concerned about information it received on isolated cases of ill-treatment by the police. 222. The Committee expressed concern with regard to certain methods used by Swedish police in dealing with detainees or with public demonstrations, such as, in the latter case, using dogs for crowd control. 5. Recommendations 223. The Committee recommends that the State party proceed to incorporate the provisions of the Convention against Torture into Swedish law, as it has already done with regard to the European Convention on Human Rights. http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/de75e94f920bd0a0802565a600537744?Opendocument (36 of 109)16/10/2006 9:54:12 AM