A/HRC/29/13 105. Finland was pleased to note the open consultations with civil society, the Ombudsman’s highlighting of multiple discrimination, and the report on discrimination against the Roma in Sweden. Finland emphasized the possible usage of Meänkieli and Finnish minority languages. 106. France welcomed Sweden’s commitment to human rights, particularly within the Human Rights Council. 107. Gabon commended the three-year initiative running from 2012 to 2014 in the field of education and training, which included measures to give children and adolescents a better understanding of xenophobia, as well as the efforts to improve the care of unaccompanied minors in municipalities. 108. Germany commended an exemplary record of human rights protections, but observed that xenophobic and Islamophobic parties had gained ground, resulting in antiMuslim sentiments being voiced in the media and subsequent increases in hate speech and hate crimes. 109. Greece acknowledged the efforts made to tackle discrimination based on religion, but stated that more needed to be done given increased racism-oriented activities in the country. Greece commended the appointment of a national coordinator for combating violence in intimate relations and suggested that the recommendations in her report be implemented. 110. Guatemala welcomed the confirmation in 2011 of the recognition of the Sami as a people and the Nordic cooperation projects aimed at strengthening the rights of Sami to maintain and develop their language, culture, way of life and community life. 111. Honduras congratulated Sweden on its efforts to combat discrimination through the adoption of normative, institutional and policy measures, particularly the consultation with civil society organizations working to promote the equality of children, persons with disabilities, LGBT persons and national minorities. 112. Hungary welcomed the progress in strengthening the rights of the child, but was concerned at the reported increase in hate crimes. Hungary asked about the results of pilot projects for Roma inclusion, and of the main findings and conclusions on establishing a national institution compliant with the Paris Principles. 113. Iceland noted that Sweden was a global standard-bearer for the promotion and protection of human rights. Iceland encouraged accelerated efforts to address persistent problems of xenophobic and Islamophobic discourse, and applauded the intended incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into Swedish law. 114. India commended the recent initiative to sensitize young people against xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. India encouraged Sweden to address the discrepancies in access to employment, housing, health care and education between native Swedes and foreign-born persons. 115. Indonesia welcomed the efforts to combat violence against women and to protect children’s rights and ensure respect for the rights of migrants. Indonesia also appreciated the co-hosting in January 2015 of a high-level event entitled Staying Together: Dialogue in the Face of Violent Extremism. 116. The Islamic Republic of Iran expressed serious concerns over racist and xenophobic crimes against Roma and Sinti, and crimes against minorities, including the targeting of Muslims with harassment, verbal threats, sabotage and vandalism. 12