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