A/HRC/18/35/Add.2
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
6 June 2011
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Eighteenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous
peoples, James Anaya
Addendum
The situation of the Sami people in the Sápmi region of Norway,
Sweden and Finland∗
Summary
The present report, which was originally made public in an advanced unedited
version on 12 January 2011, examines the human rights situation of the Sami people of
Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is based in large part on information presented to the
Special Rapporteur during a conference in Rovaniemi, Finland, from 14 to 16 April 2010
organized by the Sami Parliamentary Council. The conference gathered representatives of
the Sami parliaments of Norway, Sweden and Finland, Government officials from each of
these countries, and representatives of Sami non-governmental organizations.
The Special Rapporteur is pleased that, overall, Norway, Sweden, and Finland each
pay a high level of attention to indigenous issues, relative to other countries. In many
respects, initiatives related to the Sami people in the Nordic countries set important
examples for securing the rights of indigenous peoples.
Among these initiatives is the cross-border effort to develop a Nordic Sami
Convention. The Special Rapporteur notes the important work already achieved toward this
end, and he welcomes the commitment on the part of the Nordic States and the Sami
parliaments to recommence negotiations in 2011 toward adoption of the Convention.
However, more remains to be done to ensure that the Sami people can pursue their self-
∗ The summary is being circulated in all official languages. The report, which is annexed to
the summary, is being circulated in the language of submission only.
GE.11-13887