Indigenous Navigator National survey now available for Sweden

Photo: Jannie Staffanson

The Indigenous Navigator in Sápmi has now published the Indigenous Navigator National Assessment for Sápmi - Sweden. The report is part of a global initiative to monitor the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by using data from surveys, legislation and international mechanisms.

The report provides an analysis and overview of the status and situation of the Sámi people within the nation state boundaries of Sweden. The report covers various aspects of the Sámi people's rights, such as self-determination, cultural integrity, lands and resources, participation in public life, justice, education, health and employment.

“The Indigenous Navigator is an important initiative to assess how the states in Sápmi are implementing the rights of the Sámi people according to the UN Declaration of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. In a Saami context it is also important to map the differences and similarities in the implementation between states since the Sámi people, is divided by the borders of the four nation states Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia”, says Åsa Larsson Blind, Vice President of the Saami Council.

The report shows that the Sámi people face many challenges and gaps in the recognition and protection of their rights, especially in relation to their lands, territories and natural resources, their self-government and autonomy, fulfilment of their right to free, prior and informed consent, and their cultural heritage and identity. The report also includes an overview of key recommendations from various human rights bodies to improve the situation of the Sámi in Sweden.

“The study on the situation in Sweden shows an overall lack of implementation of indigenous rights in the national legislation. This is directly affecting the Sámi peoples’ possibilities to access their rights and there is a need for revised legislation for Sweden to implement the UN Declaration of the rights of Indigenous Peoples”, says Åsa Larsson Blind, Vice President of the Saami Council.

The report is available online at www.indigenousnavigator.org

The Indigenous Navigator in Sápmi project is a collaboration of three different organizations: the Saami Council (Sámiráđđi), Saami University of Applied Sciences (Sámi allaskuvla) and International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). In 2022 the partners released National Assessments for Sápmi in Finland and in Norway.