A/HRC/44/12 number of questions, which must be analysed before the Government would be able to reach a view on the issue. 10. Sweden had strengthened its legislation on anti-discrimination and increased budget allocations for measures to combat discrimination. Figures of 2018 from the Swedish Security Service showed an increase in the expression of xenophobic and radical nationalistic ideas, mainly through social media. The Government had adopted a comprehensive national plan to combat racism, similar forms of hostility and hate crime in 2016, in line with the recommendations from the previous review that were supported by Sweden. In the framework of the national plan, the Government had implemented several measures, including the training of public employees, school staff, police officers and social workers, and initiatives to enhance awareness of children and young people on racism. 11. The Government had appointed a special envoy for intercultural and interfaith dialogue in order to coordinate the Government’s participation in international initiatives to address challenges posed by racism and to protect religious minorities. The delegation reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to combat all forms of racism. 12. By reaffirming the commitment of Sweden to ensure equal rights and opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, the delegation reported that the Government had been drafting a new law to permit a change of legal gender on the basis of self-determination in order to strengthen the rights of transgender persons. 13. The Swedish Migration Agency had taken measures to strengthen assessment procedures of asylum claims to effectively identify risks of persecutions in countries of origin owing to the applicant’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The Government has been preparing its first national action plan on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. 14. Sweden has had a feminist Government and a feminist foreign policy. Gender mainstreaming with gender-responsive budgeting has served the most important tool for implementing the Government’s feminist policy. 15. The Government had introduced reforms in the parental leave scheme, which contributed to an equal distribution of parental allowance between women and men. 16. The Government had adopted a cross-sectoral strategy for preventing and combating men’s violence against women and for providing protection and support to women and children victims of violence. 17. The Government has been in the process of consultation with the Sami people concerning the text of a Nordic Sami Convention, the preservation of Sami languages and requests for Truth Commissions. In 2019, the Prime Minister set out the Government’s commitment to strengthen the self-determination of indigenous Sami people. 18. The Government had strengthened legislation to support all national minorities and set a task for municipalities and other stakeholders to promote the preservation of languages and cultures of national minorities. 19. The Government’s disability policy has had the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a starting point and the Swedish Agency for Participation has had the mission of ensuring that the disability policy would have an impact in society through monitoring, research, advice and awareness-raising measures. B. Interactive dialogue and responses by the State under review 20. During the interactive dialogue, 117 delegations made statements. Recommendations made during the dialogue are to be found in section II of the present report. 21. Italy welcomed the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic legislation. 22. Japan commended efforts to combat racism and hate crime, protect the rights of women and promote gender equality. 23. Jordan noted developments made in the area of human rights. 3