MFA: Members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to meet in Inari

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the meeting on 11 February and meet members of the Permanent Forum representing indigenous peoples of the world in Inari. Minister Haavisto will also meet Tiina Sanila-Aikio, President of the Sámi Parliament.

Support for indigenous peoples is one of Finland's foreign and human rights policy priorities. Finland’s objective is indigenous peoples’ greater participation in matters concerning them at the UN.

Anne Nuorgam, a Saami politician from Finland, was elected Chair of UNPFII on 22 April 2019, and therefore this year’s meeting be held in Inari.

The Permanent Forum is the most important annual event dealing with indigenous peoples’ affairs and rights, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. UNPFII addresses issues related to indigenous peoples, focusing on economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. Its 19th Session will be held in New York on 13 –24 April 2020. The session is entitled “Peace, justice and strong institutions: the role of indigenous peoples in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 16”.

Thanks to funding provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the preparatory meeting of UNPFII and a related reconciliation and mediation course will be held in Inari. The Sámi Parliament of Finland will also support the meeting.

Inquiries: Jeri Aalto, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 50 472 0725 and Eija Limnell, Counsellor, +358 50 576 8985.

The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.