Mr President,
Allow me to extend the gratitude of Sweden to the delegation of Senegal and His Excellency Madické Niang, for taking an active part in our dialogue here today. In order to respect the time constraints, I will move straight to our comments:
First; Sweden recognizes that Senegal in the past has benefitted from a high degree of respect for the freedom of expression and now has indicated an intention to further reform the national press law. We are, however, concerned about reports in the last few years of harassment and intimidations of journalists and mass media outlets. For that reason, Sweden recommends the government of Senegal to take further measures, including legislative action, to ensure full respect for the freedom of expression and freedom of the press, in accordance with international standards.
Second; In 2006, the Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern that corporal punishment within the family was not prohibited by law in Senegal. It also noted that it continues to be used in schools and other institutional settings, despite a legal ban against such punishment in schools.
Sweden therefore welcomes the new information provided here today and recommends the government of Senegal to continue its’ efforts and take necessary policy measures to ensure that children are protected from corporal punishment and other forms of violence or exploitation.
Thank you, Mr President.