A/HRC/41/44/Add.1 refugees, with particular attention paid to those fleeing war and conflict zones, those who have experienced torture and ill-treatment, and those who have escaped an oppressive situation. 62. At the municipal level, several initiatives have also been taken to ensure the integration of newcomers into Swedish society, including in partnership with civil society organizations. For instance, the Independent Expert welcomes the establishment of peer-topeer meetings between asylum seekers, refugees and migrants and Swedes, in partnership with the non-governmental organization Individuell Människohjälp (Swedish Development Partner) through the project Duo Stockholm. 66 The project offers newcomers the possibility to improve Swedish language skills and cultural knowledge. The project is a good practice for advancing international solidarity at the local level. VI. Climate change, preservation of the environment and international solidarity 63. The Independent Expert notes that Sweden has long been an innovator in finding ways to live in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. The State has also long been committed, nationally, regionally and internationally, to the fight against global warming and to the protection of the environment. Indeed, in 1967 it became the first country to establish an environmental protection agency, the Swedish Environment Protection Agency. In 1972, Sweden hosted the first United Nations conference on the environment, leading to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme. Sweden has also ratified several international treaties on climate change, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. In 2001, it was also a key influencer in the adoption of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, aiming at eliminating or restricting the production and use of persistent organic pollutants.67 A. International advocacy and support for environment-oriented development 64. The authorities and people of Sweden have recognized for decades now the urgent need to combat climate change and evolve the country’s energy consumption and social lifestyle to preserve the environment and ensure sustainable development. Sweden is a strong and leading voice in suggesting and defending sustainable, safe and long-term solutions to protect the environment, especially in international forums like the annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Along with 179 other countries, Sweden ratified the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in 2015 with the aim of combating climate change and accelerating and intensifying the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. 65. Following the ratification of the Paris Agreement, in 2017 the Government adopted a climate policy framework to comply with the Agreement’s principles and to implement the Sustainable Development Goals nationally with regard to the environment and climate change. The framework is based on three pillars – the Climate Act, climate goals beyond 2020 and a climate policy council that reviews the policy – and provides the long-term conditions that will allow companies and society to make the transition towards a sustainable world. According to the Climate Act, which entered into force on 1 January 2018, each new government will be required to pursue a climate policy based on the goals adopted by the Riksdag and to present a climate report every year in the budget bill. 68 Furthermore, in March 2018, the Government agreed a new strategy for its global 66 67 68 16 See manniskohjalp.se/matchning/duo-stockholm (in Swedish). See sweden.se/nature/sweden-tackles-climate-change/. See www.government.se/articles/2017/06/the-climate-policy-framework/.