According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the results of the Sameting elections in Sweden on May 18, 2025, are clearly to be seen as a call for more Indigenous self-determination. As the now available counting results show, the Sámi elected their new representatives with a voter turnout of 60.9 percent. “Now, the government in Stockholm must finally start to take the political body of the Sameting seriously, instead of treating it as a fig leaf“, demanded Gerrit Jan Hofert, human rights expert at the STP, in Göttingen on Wednesday.

The Swedish government continues to approve mining and energy projects in Sápmi, such as the controversial iron ore mine in Gállok/Kallak, despite warnings from various UN bodies and Special Rapporteurs. “Projects like this are a threat to the Sámi’s livelihoods – and they are to be seen as violations of their fundamental rights if the affected communities have not given their prior consent,” Hofert added. Further, these communities are under increasing pressure due to the ongoing climate crisis: thawing permafrost and frozen pastures are a threat to reindeer herding – the core of the Sámi culture.

Thus, the STP calls on the Swedish government to immediately ratify ILO Convention 169 – the only legally binding instrument under international law that protects the rights of Indigenous peoples adequately. Furthermore, the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) must be enshrined in the laws, to ensure that Indigenous communities have a real say in projects that affect their livelihoods. The Sameting should be upgraded to a full-fledged decision-making body with adequate funding, as a means to strengthen the political participation of the people. In addition, sufficient financial resources must be provided for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, whose mandate will come to an end in 2025. This would be the only way to ensure a rectification of historical injustices. Finally, there must be guaranteed Sámi seats on national climate, land, and water committees – to ensure that the Sámi are adequately represent when it comes to decisions that affect their environment and their way of life. “Sweden likes to present itself as a pioneer in human rights issues. Now the government in Stockholm can and must show that there is real substance behind this image,” Hofert emphasized.