About the Saami Council

The Saami Council is a voluntary Saami organization (a non–governmental organization), with Saami member organizations in Finland, Russia, Norway and Sweden.

Since it was founded in 1956 the Saami Council has actively dealt with Saami policy tasks. For this reason the Saami Council is one of the indigenous peoples’ organizations that have existed longest.

The primary aim of the Saami Council is the promotion of Saami rights and interests in the four countries where the Saami are living. The main task of the Saami Council is to consolidate the feeling of affinity among the Saami people, to attain recognition for the Saami as a nation and to maintain the cultural, political, economic and social rights of the Saami in the legislation of the four states (Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland) and in agreements between states and Saami representative organizations. 

The Saami Council's work is based on the decisions, statements, declarations and political programmes of the Saami Conference. Saami Council renders opinions and makes proposals on questions concerning Saami people’s livelihoods, rights, language and culture and especially on issues concerning Saami in different countries.

The President and Vice Presidents are members of the Executive board, in total four persons. Each country in Sápmi is represented in the Executive board.

The President is elected for a two-year period. The presidency can be continued with a second two-year period, by election. 

The Executive board is to perform the tasks given to it by the Saami Council. The Executive board handles the work and common issues of the Saami Council between the plenary sessions of the council.

The Executive board should strive for consensus on issues it handles. Any issue in which consensus is not achievable will be presented to the Saami Council for a final decision.

The Executive board gathers to meetings as often as necessary.

The Saami Council is the cooperation organization of the Saami organizations in Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Russian Federation. The Saami Council has nine member organizations. These organizations nominate candidates for the Saami Council, and the Saami Conference appoints them. An organization can become a member organization by adopting the purpose of the Saami Council.

Member organizations of the Saami Council

• Reindeer Herders Association of Sweden (BEO)

• Kola Saami Association (AKS)

• Saami Association of the Murmansk Region (OOSMO)

• Reindeer Herders Association of Norway (NBR)

• Saami Association of Norway (NSR)

• National Association Sáme Ätnam (RSÄ) 

• Saami Peoples Union (SÁL) 

• National Union of the Swedish Saami People (SSR)

• Central Saami Association (SSG) (Finland)

The Saami Council has nine member organizations: three in Norway, three in Sweden, two in the Russian Federation and one in Finland. The representatives of the organizations are members of the council and they are nominated by the member organizations' delegations to the Saami Conference and appointed by the Saami Conference. An organization can become a member organization by adopting the purpose of the Saami Council.

Here is a list of Saami Council's member organizations

According to the statutes of the Saami Council, the Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Russian sections, the Executive Board, the Cultural Committee and the Secretariat are ordinary bodies of the Saami Council. The sections of the Saami Council consist of the council members from each country. The council members from one country form one section, therefore the Saami Council has four sections. The Saami Council consists of 15 members, five are from Norway, four are from Sweden, four are from Finland and two are from Russia.

The Saami Council gathers to plenary sessions approximately twice a year to discuss current issues regarding the rights and culture of the Saami and other indigenous peoples. The Executive Board and the Secretariat are the preparatory organs of the council. Specialized work of the Saami Council is performed in units dedicated to important topics. The Saami cultural cooperation is handled by the cultural committee. The tasks of this committee are to increase and spread knowledge about the Saami culture, to improve the cooperation between cultural institutions and the Saami Council and to distribute cultural funds.

The Saami Council is chaired by a president, who is elected for two years at a time.

Here you can see who are members of the Saami Council.

Leif Rantala has written a summary of the history of the Saami Council in 2004. It is available in its North Saami version.