Sámi Parliament Act discussed in the economic committee of the Finnish Parliament
On Tuesday, January 10th, the ongoing reform of the Sámi Parliament Act was discussed in the Economic Committee of the Finnish Parliament. The hearing was attended by several institutions and representatives, including the President of the Saami Council, Áslat Holmberg.
In his statement to the committee, Holmberg highlighted the pressing need for a reform of the Sámi Parliament Act. The current law violates binding human rights agreements that Finland has agreed to, and a new law would provide solutions for rectifying these issues.
Holmberg emphasized two key sections of the proposed reform: Section 3, which defines the right to vote, and Section 9, which addresses the duty to consult. The current law "Finnishizes" the Sámi Parliament, which undermines the legitimacy of the Sámi Parliament and the relationship between the Sámi and Finnish people. A reform of the definition of the right to vote would help to address this. On the other hand, the proposed text in Section 9 brings the law closer to the principle of free, prior, and informed consent and will have a significant and positive impact on the rights of the Sámi people in Finland.
– We have to acknowledge that the proposed law is not perfect, but it that is far better than any previous proposals seen under the last two administrations. The proposed law would bring stability and improve the processes regarding sámi issues. A revised law would also be positive for businesses, as this would encompass a more meaningful consultation process with the Sámi Parliament, and is a step closer to the internationally recognized FPIC standard. The proposal has also received historically strong support from the Sámi Parliament and all language groups within the Sámi community, says Holmberg.
The full statement can be found here: Lausunto talousvaliokunnalle saamelaiskäräjälain uudistamisesta (FI)
