Representations

The Arctic Council

The Saami Council has a Permanent Participant status to the Arctic Council, together with five other indigenous peoples organizations. Indigenous peoples participate in the Arctic Council meetings at the same table as the governments. Read more about the Arctic Council on their website.

Arctic Council International Peoples Secretariat (IPS)

The Saami Council appoints one member of the board of the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat (IPS). The Saami Council has appointed Viktoria Guseva as its representative on the IPS board for the period 2021-2023. You can read more about IPS on their website.

The Lásságámmi foundation

The Saami Council appoints one member of the board of the Lásságámmi foundation. Lásságámmi was established to commemorate Áillohaš, the Saami multi-artist. The Saami Council has appointed Niko Valkeapää as its representative in the Lásságámmi board. You can read more about Lásságámmi on their website.

Barents Euro-Arctic Council Working Group of Indigenous Peoples (WGIP)

The Saami Council has observer status to the Barents Euro-Arctic Council Working Group of Indigenous Peoples (WGIP). The Barents cooperation is mainly cooperation between the governments of the Barents region. The WGIP represents the indigenous peoples of the Barents region; the Nenets, the Saami and the Veps. The Saami are represented by the Saami Parliaments. The Komi people were approved as a new representative in 2002. The WGIP is represented in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council and in its committee of senior officials. You can read more about WGIP on their website.

UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

The Saami Council has consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The United Nations is - as the name states - a worldwide intergovernmental organization. In addition to governments, the UN has a system for NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) to be able to participate in its processes. This consultative status gives a right to participate and affect widely in the UN system through meetings between peoples and governments.

The consultative status for NGO's is divided into three parts:

• Roster 

• General 

• Special

The Saami Council has the status as an NGO on the Roster of the UN ECOSOC.

It is possible to participate in the UN indigenous peoples meetings without consultative status. Hundreds of indigenous peoples' representatives and their organizations participate in central UN indigenous peoples gatherings, but they cannot participate as widely in the UN system as the organizations that have consultative status.