UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 59th Session,
Item 3 - Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
Nordic-Baltic statement by Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Denmark together with Greenland
25 June 2025
Thank you, President,
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report and we reaffirm our commitment to the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In the context of the report, we wish to highlight a few examples from our own region:
Between Denmark and Greenland, the legislations regarding the justice system and the Criminal Code of Greenland are different from those in Denmark, as fundamental elements hail from the traditional Greenland Inuit traditions and values, particularly regarding resocialization and reintegration.
In Finland, the Finnish Parliament recently approved changes to the Act on the Sámi Parliament, strengthening the self-determination of the Indigenous Peoples through, among other things, the establishment of an Appeals Board for Electoral Roll Matters of the Sámi Parliament.
Special rapporteur, what do you see as the most pressing step to protect and promote Indigenous Peoples’ right to maintain and strengthen their distinct legal institutions?
Thank you.