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The Star
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Finnish Samis urge stronger voice in EU decision-making
HELSINKI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the Finnish Sami community called for stronger Indigenous participation in European Union (EU) policymaking at the EU Arctic Forum held Friday in Kittila, northern Finland. Tuomas Aslak Juuso, vice president of the Sami Parliament in Finland, emphasized that EU policies significantly influence the daily lives of the Samis - from climate adaptation to cross-border trade - yet the Sami people currently lack a direct mechanism to shape those policies. He noted that while the EU formally recognized the special status of the Samis in Finland's EU accession treaty, a legal foundation that protects Indigenous rights such as reindeer herding, recent initiatives like the European Green Deal have frequently failed to reflect the needs of Indigenous communities. The Samis have long advocated for permanent parliamentary representation in Brussels and a formal partnership between the Sami Parliamentary Council (SPC) and the European Parliament. However, Juuso pointed out that the EU still lacks an internal policy on Indigenous peoples. He further urged the creation of dedicated EU funding mechanisms to support Sami adaptation and strengthen community resilience. Such funds, he argued, should directly address the impacts of climate change on traditional livelihoods like reindeer herding, fishing, and handicrafts. Also speaking at the forum, former Finnish President Tarja Halonen highlighted the importance of protecting Indigenous rights and ensuring their active role in shaping EU policies. "The cultural heritage and knowledge of Indigenous peoples are essential to the resilience of ecosystems - both in the Arctic and globally," Halonen said. She warned that despite contributing the least to environmental degradation, Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, particularly in the rapidly warming Arctic region. The Samis are the only recognized Indigenous people within the EU, with their traditional homeland spanning the northern regions of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and parts of Russia. The EU Arctic Forum runs from June 26 to 27, with side events scheduled on June 25 and 28.
Straits Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Finnish MPs agree more rights for indigenous Sami parliament
The parliament is the Sami people's main political body in Finland. PHOTO: REUTERS HELSINKI - Finnish lawmakers approved on June 19 a long-awaited legal reform of the Sami parliament that strengthens the rights of Europe's only recognised native people to decide how they are governed. The changes to the Sami Parliament Act aim to bring the law governing the assembly into line with Finland's human rights obligations. The parliament is the Sami people's main political body in the Nordic country. The new law modifies the Sami electoral system and the criteria for standing in these elections. It also clarifies the Finnish authorities' duty to consult the Sami on matters that concern them. The acting speaker of the Sami parliament told AFP the bill – which had stalled under three previous governments – included important elements which 'strengthen the Sami people's powers to decide how they are governed'. 'For more than 14 years now, we have had to fight to have a free voice,' said Mr Tuomas Aslak Juuso, who is Acting President of the Sami Parliamen t. The Sami are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the Arctic region of Sapmi, which encompasses parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. They are known for their unique culture, including their traditional reindeer herding practices, languages, and handicrafts. Some 10,500 indigenous Sami live in Finland, speaking three different Sami languages. Under the Finnish constitution, they have the right to keep their own languages and culture. And in their homeland in Finnish Lapland, Sapmi, they have the power to take political decisions on such matters. Their main decision-making body is the Sami parliament, which is based in the Arctic town of Inari and holds elections every four years for its 21 seats. Mother tongue United Nations human rights bodies criticised Finland several times over the Sami Parliament Act. They said the Act breached Finland's human rights obligations because it allowed people who the Sami parliament did not deem eligible to be included on the electoral roll. The new Act bases a person's eligibility to vote or stand in Sami parliamentary elections on language. This means they must have one of the Sami languages as their mother tongue, or have at least one parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who did so. MPs who opposed the reform said the new criteria exclude from the electoral roll people who should be included. But Mr Juuso said it allowed the parliament to finally 'focus more on other issues which are perhaps even more important for the future of the Sami language and culture'. In addition to northern Finland, the Sami homeland of Sapmi stretches over the northern parts of Norway, Russia and Sweden. There are an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 Sami in total, many of whom live outside Sapmi. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
