President Alexander Stubb has invited members of the Sámi Parliament to the Presidential Palace for further discussions following his visit to the indigenous assembly on Friday.
Stubb wrapped up a two-day visit to Finnish Lapland in Inari late Friday. A day earlier, he began the visit in Utsjoki, the northernmost municipality in Finland and the EU.
"Next autumn, I will attend the UN General Assembly High-level Week. I hope that I can get a representative of the Sámi Parliament on that trip," he said on Friday afternoon. The UN General Assembly opens in New York on 10 September.
Stubb discussed current issues affecting the Sámi with local representatives in Inari. The talks included EU issues and how Sámi issues could be better heard in Europe, as well as Nato issues.
The president called for a two-way flow of communication between military officials and northern Finland’s 54 reindeer herding cooperatives, regarding military exercises, for example.
"On the one hand, the Sámi people and especially the reindeer herding cooperatives know the terrain and the area better than the soldiers, and on the other hand, the Finnish Defence Forces, who have to keep the Sámi people and the reindeer-grazing associations aware of what, where and when everything is being done and how to clean up any traces afterwards," he said.
Indigenous affairs in international spotlight
Stubb noted that there is considerable interest abroad in Finland’s treatment of its indigenous population, mentioned that he was asked about it last week on the BBC programme Hard Talk.
According to human rights expert Martin Schein, the opportunities for reconciliation between the Sámi people and the Finnish state diminished in the 2010s. That was among the findings of a report prepared by Schein for the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was published on Monday.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Concerning the Sámi People was set up by Sanna Marin’s SDP-led government in late 2021.
The UN has issued complaints against Finland over its treatment of indigenous people on several occasions. A new law aimed at ensuring indigenous representation in the Sámi Parliament has been held up in the Finnish Parliament for years, partly due to opposition from the Centre Party.
The Marin government tried unsuccessfully to push through a new law Sámi Parliament, while the current NCP-led government has pledged to try again to pass it.
According to Stubb, the status of the Sámi people in Lapland must be secured in accordance with the Finnish constitution.
“This law has taken far too long. I hope that the process will be completed during this government term,” said Stubb.
MPs began reconsidering the long-delayed law in February.
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