Summit of Barents Euro-Arctic Indigenous Sámi People in Brussels

The Summit’s main themes will be climate change in the Arctic region, the European Union’s northern policy and Sámi questions, and traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.
The Sámi Summit is a unique event, gathering for the first time a large number of Sámi representatives from Finland, Sweden and Norway in the heart of the EU in Brussels. It aims to advance dialogue and cooperation between the Sámi Parliament and the EU institutions and to share information and experiences in support of sustainable development.
Keynote speakers include Matti Vanhanen, Speaker of Parliament of Finland, Anni Koivisto, First Vice-President of the Sámi Parliament in Finland, and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.
The Summit will also showcase Sámi culture. The European Parliament will host an art exhibition by the artist Anders Sunna, and the musicians Niko Valkeapää, Anna Morottaja and Ailu Valle will perform as part of the Summit programme. The Barents Regional Youth Council (BRYC) and the EU–Sami Youth Lab project will organise a youth side event during the Summit.
Barents Euro-Arctic Council
The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) was established at Norway’s initiative by the Kirkenes Declaration in 1993 to serve as a cooperation forum for Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has frozen all BEAC cooperation with Russia. Cooperation continues under the Friends of the Presidency format, which was created by Finland and is open for all BEAC members with the exception of Russia and for the EU.
The cooperation gets its concrete form through the BEAC working groups, including the Working Group for Indigenous Peoples that has the special status of an advisory body. The Working Group safeguards and highlights the interests of indigenous peoples. It continues its work as a cooperation between the Sámi in Finland, Sweden and Norway, since all cooperation with Russia has been frozen. The group has a key role in preparing the Summit.
You can read more from the Sami summit -website.
Inquiries
- Jari Vilén, Chair of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, Ambassador, +358 295 350 381, jari.vilen@formin.fi
- Anni Koivisto, Chair of the Working Group for Indigenous Peoples, First Vice-President of the Sámi Parliament in Finland, +358 40 415 5969, anni.koivisto@samediggi.fi
Keywords
Images
Links
About Ulkoministeriö / Utrikesministeriet

Laivastokatu 22, PL 176
00023 Valtioneuvosto
0295 16001http://um.fi
Subscribe to releases from Ulkoministeriö / Utrikesministeriet
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Ulkoministeriö / Utrikesministeriet by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Ulkoministeriö / Utrikesministeriet
Natos Ottawaavtal trädde i kraft8.6.2023 13:31:55 EEST | Tiedote
Statsrådets allmänna sammanträde utfärdade den 8 juni en förordning om Ottawaavtalet, det vill säga avtalet om status för Nordatlantiska fördragsorganisationen, nationella representanter och organisationens internationella personal.
Naton Ottawan sopimus tuli voimaan8.6.2023 13:31:16 EEST | Tiedote
Valtioneuvoston yleisistunto antoi 8. kesäkuuta asetuksen Ottawan sopimuksesta eli Pohjois-Atlantin liiton, kansallisten edustajien ja kansainvälisen henkilöstön asemasta tehdystä sopimuksesta.
The Goverment issued a decree on the NATO Ottawa Agreement8.6.2023 13:30:25 EEST | Press release
The Government plenary session issued a decree on the Agreement on the Status of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, National Representatives and International Staff, also known as the Ottawa Agreement on 8 June.
OECD ministers to seek solutions in uncertain geopolitical and economic times7.6.2023 09:15:41 EEST | Press release
The OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) will take place from 7 to 8 June 2023 in Paris. The theme of this year’s meeting is securing a resilient future. The ministers will also discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine.
OECD-ministrarna söker lösningar i ett geopolitiskt och ekonomiskt osäkert läge7.6.2023 09:15:19 EEST | Tiedote
Organisationen för ekonomiskt samarbete och utveckling OECD håller sitt ministermöte i Paris den 7–8 juni 2023. Mötets tema handlar om att finna trygga lösningar för en hållbar framtid. Ministrarna kommer också att diskutera återuppbyggnaden av Ukraina.
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom