STATEMENT
UPR47
Review of Norway
4 November 2024
Statement delivered by Director General Bjørn Olav Megard, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development
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Thank you, President,
We thank Australia, Brasil, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Belarus, and others for their recommendations and questions about actions taken to protect the Sami and national minorities.
The Sami are recognised as the indigenous people in Norway, while the Kven – also known as Norwegian Finns – Forest Finns, Jews, Roma, and the Romani people – also known as Tater – are recognised as national minorities. Our current policies for these groups, over the last decades, seek to rebuild culture and languages that were weakened during the assimilation policies, primarily from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, though still having consequences today.
The Norwegian government has apologised and endeavours to compensate for the impact of these past policies.
Strengthening the education, for the society-at-large, on the rights and the history of the Sami, the indigenous people, and the national minorities has also been key.
As mentioned by the state secretary consideration of report from Truth and Reconciliation Commission, will be concluded by our parliament next week.
We expect the parliament to emphasise the need for strengthened, active measures for the Sami and Kven languages, from kindergarten, throughout the school system, and for adult learners. It is not just an issue of funding, but of having staff with the right competencies, in the right place.
We also expect the Parliament to task the government with further efforts raising awareness and knowledge among public sector employees of the rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities, including government procedures for seeking the consent, and of their languages, culture, and traditions.
President,
To strengthen the national minorities and enable them to participate effectively in matters that particularly affect them, the government provides operating grants to their organisations. The grant scheme also provides project grants for reinforcing the language, culture, and identity.
The national minority organisations, including the Roma, participate in the annual Contact Forum between the national minorities and state authorities, as well as annual meetings with each organisation.
We strongly encourage the participation of young representatives
in these meetings. To facilitate this goal, we organise annual gatherings with young representatives from the national minorities.
President,
Over the last decades, Norway has maintained a comprehensive, forward-leaning policy for the Sami indigenous people. It is implemented through action plans, budgetary means, and an extensive legal framework, including a system for recognition of land rights.
The Sami are recognised and protected in the Norwegian Constitution and in the Sami Act, in accordance with the ILO-convention 169 on indigenous peoples and the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples (the UNDRIP).
Furthermore, there is specific legislation on matters such as land rights, natural resources, education, and geographical names.
President,
The Sámediggi – the Sami parliament – is the representative, elected, political body for the Sami. Many of the practical measures for strengthening Sami culture, languages, and way of life are run by the Sami parliament itself.
Norway has recognised that the Sami, as an indigenous people, have a right to self-determination. This occurs primarily through the Sami parliament, regarding their internal affairs and in voicing their policies and political positions.
Also, importantly, the Sami must be ensured real and effective participation in matters affecting them. This is carried out through consultations between the national, regional, and municipal authorities and the Sámediggi and Sami rights holders. In the consultations, the aim of the authorities must be, by law, to pursue agreement or consent.
Also, importantly, free, prior, and informed consent is considered a legal requirement in certain land use matters, that is in cases where lack of consent would mean breach of the threshold under article 27 of the ICCPR. This was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Norway in the Fosen-case in 2021.
Formal rules for consultations have been in place by agreement since 2005 and were codified in the Sami Act in 2021. The provisions in the law tracks closely with the requirements in ILO Convention No. 169,and the UNDRIP.
Finally, in 2024 a bill entered into force that applied new statutory provisions for the use of Sami languages, with different rules in the different categories of municipalities, according to their particular circumstances. The new rules will make it easier for more municipalities, in a wider area, to strengthen Sami languages
Finally, President,
With regards the recommendations on antisemitism, We will first emphasise that Antisemitism is never acceptable. Norway has had active action plans against antisemitism since 2016. We will launch our third action plan next week.
The plan includes efforts within education, and procedures to identify and investigate antisemitic hate crime.
Thank you.