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In harsh words, the UN Committee on Racial Discrimination calls on Sweden to consider the rights of indigenous peoples considerably more in mining establishments.
This is done in a recent statement. The origin is that the Sami village of Vapsten reported on the Swedish state to the UN committee as early as 2013. The government then decided to install a nickel mine in Rönnbäcken, on the outskirts of Tärnaby, despite the fact that reindeer herding of the Sami village was significantly affected.
After seven years, the statement comes from the UN.
– It is a historic decision in which the UN Committee on Racial Discrimination follows the line of the Sami people and recognizes significant violations in the mining process, says Tilda Pontén, a lawyer for Civil Rights Defenders and continues:
– The Committee also requests that Sweden revises the Minerals Law so that it expresses the condition of the Sami as indigenous peoples and gives them influence in the mining processes. As for the system errors noted, the new mine decisions, provided Sweden does not change the law, will violate the UN Convention on Racial Discrimination.
But in a first step, Sweden is now recommended to withdraw the processing concession in Rönnbäcken.
– Sweden is then urged to back the band in Rönnbäcken and give the Sami influence over decisions made about a mine there, says Marie B Hagsgård.
She is a former judge, chief secretary in various state Sami law investigations, and one of the top Swedish authorities on Sami law. She continues:
– The Sami do not have a veto, but the state must ensure that they are involved and strive for consensus. Sweden has generally not done this before and has received harsh criticism for it.
It’s something like Inger-Ann Omma reindeer owners in the Sami village of Vapsten are recognized in:
– In fact, I have never seen what we said was obeyed in a development project, he says.
One point also states that the state must return lost lands to Sami villages that were taken from them without influence and, secondly, receive compensation if this is not practically possible. At the same time, forestry, river development, and mines have taken over many pastures from Sami villages, according to research by SLU.
Photo: Jonas Fröberg
As DN was able to report recently, the fisherman Sami Marie Persson Njajta is heavily affected by a mine in Rönnbäcken.
– It must be remembered that many more Sami who have their rights in the area are affected, which does not appear in this case. We hope the government will respect the decision and revoke the permits, says Marie Persson Njajta.
The Swedish government now has 90 days to return with information on how to act. The matter is with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose press service writes in a statement that “The conclusions are now being analyzed within the Government Offices. In general, it can be said that it is an important priority for the government to combat all forms of discrimination. “
At the same time, the Swedish government has ambitions to extract nickel, copper and graphite that can be used in the Northvolt battery factory, which is being built in Skellefteå. Among other things, there are plans for a copper mine in Laver, on the outskirts of Älsbyn, and for a graphite mine on the outskirts of Vittangi, to which the affected Sami villages said no.
– The UN system assumes that Sweden complies with the decision. Sweden has promised to live up to the Convention on Racial Discrimination and is subject to the committee’s interpretations, says Tilda Pontén.
