43rd session of the UPR Working Group - Review of Romania

President,

Sweden welcomes Romania’s commitment to human rights, as demonstrated also by Romania’s current membership in the Human Rights Council. However, Sweden would like to make the following recommendations:

1. Follow up remaining commitments in the European Commission’s Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Romania regarding the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, ensuring that legislation and implementation are fully in line with all commitments, and that the reforms are sustainable and irreversible.
2. Introduce civil legal partnerships between same-sex couples and recognize family rights of same-sex couples in line with decisions issued by the European Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court.
3. Ensure a more equal gender representation in elections at all levels, for example by developing strategies for inclusion of women in decision-making bodies and encouraging political parties to set targets for gender representation.

Thank you