19th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Item 10 - Preparing for twenty years of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Statement Norway
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16 July 2026
Chair,
Norwegian authorities played an active role in the development of the Declaration. The government’s aim was a declaration that can contribute to strengthened protection of Indigenous Peoples globally.
The Declaration provides important guidelines and sets a standard of achievement to be pursued.
It is important that, the scope of the provisions in the Declaration must be determined on the basis of interpretations of similar obligations in other international legal instruments, such as the ILO Convention No 169.
When the Declaration was adopted in 2007, it was the Government of Norway’s view that the legislation and policies pertaining to the Sami were – for the most part – already in line with the requirements in the Declaration.
Consultations and cooperation with the aim of achieving free, prior and informed consent is key for ensuring that the rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected in all situations. The rules for Sami participation in national law aligns with the standards set out in the ILO Convention No. 169 and the Declaration. The Sami have the right to real and effective participation in matters that may affect them.
When lack of consent would mean that the human rights of Sami right holders would otherwise be breached, reaching actual agreement or consent becomes a requirement. That is already the law in Norway.
Norway looks forward with great appreciation to commemorating the 20th anniversary of this significant milestone.
Thank you.