Extractive Industries and Sami in Sweden - An Analysis of the Procedural Safeguards in the Swedish Mineral Framework and Sweden's International and Regional Obligations
(2018) LAGM01 20181Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract
- The Sami are one of the world’s indigenous peoples that live in a land area referred to as Sápmi that extends over the north of Sweden, as well as parts of Norway, Finland and Russia. Part of the Sami population in Sweden lives according to their traditional way of life which includes reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, and other resource-based activities. It is internationally recognized that indigenous peoples have a special connection to their ancestral land and access to such lands is essential in the practice of their traditional way of life. The Swedish government since the 19th century granted mining concessions to companies to exploit the mineral-rich areas in Sweden that are also part of the land area Sápmi. Mining activities... (More)
- The Sami are one of the world’s indigenous peoples that live in a land area referred to as Sápmi that extends over the north of Sweden, as well as parts of Norway, Finland and Russia. Part of the Sami population in Sweden lives according to their traditional way of life which includes reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, and other resource-based activities. It is internationally recognized that indigenous peoples have a special connection to their ancestral land and access to such lands is essential in the practice of their traditional way of life. The Swedish government since the 19th century granted mining concessions to companies to exploit the mineral-rich areas in Sweden that are also part of the land area Sápmi. Mining activities adversely impact the traditional Sami way of life, as well as the access to their cultural heritage and spiritual places.
The Swedish mineral framework employs three procedural safeguards in the process surrounding the approval mining concessions; a balance of the competing interest, environmental impact assessments, and public participation in the decision-making process. In Sweden the Sami are recognized as a people, minority and indigenous peoples which entail international obligations for Sweden towards Sami, and also affects the requirements for the formulation of procedural safeguards. Sweden’s obligations under international human rights law and European human rights law stipulate specific obligations for Sweden surrounding the protection of the Sami way of life, considerations of Sami interests, Sami consultation and participation.
The balance of rights is not consistent with Sweden’s international obligations as it does not give due consideration of the Sami interests and enables an encroaching effect on the Sami way of life. The system for environmental impact assessment is not consistent with Sweden’s international obligations as it lacks explicit Sami consultations as well as considerations of reindeer husbandry and social impacts, making it unable to take due account of the Sami interest. The public participation in decision-making processes is further inconsistent with Sweden’s international obligations as the legal framework in the approval process for mining concession only stipulates a mere right to information and in the planning framework only indirect consultation opportunities. This system for Sami consultation and participation does not adhere to Sweden’s international obligations surrounding effective participation and consultation.
The procedural safeguards in the Swedish mineral framework; the balance of interests, environmental impact assessments and public participation and consultation, are not consistent with Sweden’s international obligations, under the international human rights system as well as the European human rights system. (Less) - Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Samerna är ett av världens ursprungsfolk som lever i landområdet Sápmi som sträcker sig över norra Sverige, så väl som delar av Norge, Finland och Ryssland. En del av samerna i Sverige lever enligt deras traditionella levnadssätt som inkluderar renskötsel, jakt, fiske och andra resurs-baserade aktiviteter. Det är internationellt erkänt att urfolk har en särskild förbindelse till deras förfaders mark- och landområden och att tillgång till sådan mark är grundläggande för praktiserandet av deras traditionella levnadssätt. Sedan 1800-talet har den svenska staten beviljat gruvkoncessioner till företag för att exploatera de mineral-rika landområdena i Sverige som också utgör del av landområdet Sápmi. Gruvdrift medför allvarlig påverkan på... (More)
- Samerna är ett av världens ursprungsfolk som lever i landområdet Sápmi som sträcker sig över norra Sverige, så väl som delar av Norge, Finland och Ryssland. En del av samerna i Sverige lever enligt deras traditionella levnadssätt som inkluderar renskötsel, jakt, fiske och andra resurs-baserade aktiviteter. Det är internationellt erkänt att urfolk har en särskild förbindelse till deras förfaders mark- och landområden och att tillgång till sådan mark är grundläggande för praktiserandet av deras traditionella levnadssätt. Sedan 1800-talet har den svenska staten beviljat gruvkoncessioner till företag för att exploatera de mineral-rika landområdena i Sverige som också utgör del av landområdet Sápmi. Gruvdrift medför allvarlig påverkan på samernas traditionella levnadssätt så väl som tillgången till deras kulturella arv och spirituella platser.
Den svenska minerallagstiftningen använder sig av tre processuella skyddsåtgärder i tillståndsprocessen kring mineralkoncessioner; en intresseavvägning av konkurrerande markintressen, miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar och allmänhetens deltagande i beslutprocessen. I Sverige är samerna erkända som ett folk, urfolk och en minoritet, vilket innebär internationella skyldigheter för Sverige gentemot samerna och som även påverkar kriterierna för utformningen av processuella skyddsåtgärder. Sveriges förpliktelser enligt internationella mänskliga rättigheter och enligt det europeiska systemet för mänskliga rättigheter uppställer specifika skyldigheter för Sverige angående skydd av samernas levnadssätt, beaktande av samiska intressen, samt samiskt samråd och deltagande.
Intresseavvägningen i minerallagstiftningen är inte förenlig med Sveriges internationella folkrättsliga förpliktelser eftersom den inte tar vederbörlig hänsyn till samiska intressen och möjliggör en inträngande effekt på samernas traditionella levnadssätt. Systemet för miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar är ej förenligt med Sveriges internationella folkrättsliga förpliktelser då det saknar explicita samråd med samer såväl som särskilt beaktande av sociala och renskötselskonsekvenser, vilket inte gör det möjligt att ta vederbörlig hänsyn till samiska intressen. Allmänhetens deltagande i beslutsprocesser är vidare oförenligt med Sveriges internationella folkrättsliga åtaganden då lagstiftningen i beslutsprocessens för beviljandet av mineralkoncessioner endast stipulerar en rätt till information och i planerings regelverket endast indirekta samråds möjligheter. Detta system för samiskt samråd och deltagande följer inte Sveriges internationella folkrättsliga förpliktelser rörande effektivt deltagande och samråd.
De processuella skyddsåtgärderna i den svenska minerallagstiftningen; intresseavvägning, miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar och allmänhetens deltagande och samråd, är inte förenliga med Sveriges internationella folkrättsliga åtaganden som följer utav internationella mänskliga rättigheter och det europeiska systemet för mänskliga rättigheter. (Less)
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http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8947543
- author
- Örnberg, Jonathan LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- LAGM01 20181
- year
- 2018
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- International law, International human rights law, Sami, Sami rights, Sweden, Indigenous Rights, Minority Rights, Minority, Minorities, Indigenous peoples, International environmental law, Extractive industries, Mining, Procedural safeguards, Consultation, Participation, Participation in decision-making, Cultural Rights, Right to information, United Nations, European Court of Human Rights, Environment, Cultural life, Right to culture, International obligations, Regional obligations, Right to land and natural resources, Reindeer Husbandry, Reindeer herding, Mineral framework, Samer, Samers rättigheter, Urfolk, Urfolks rättigheter, Minoritet, Minoriteter, Minoriteters rättigheter, Sverige, Gruvdrift, Internationella förpliktelser, Regionala förpliktelser, Förenta nationerna, Kulturella rättigheter, Processuella skyddsåtgärder, Samråd, Deltagande i beslut, Rätt till information, Rätt till land och resurser, Internationella mänskliga rättigheter, Internatinell rätt, Internationell miljörätt, internationell minoritetsrätt, internationell urfolksrätt
- language
- English
- id
- 8947543
- date added to LUP
- 2018-06-18 13:11:33
- date last changed
- 2018-06-18 13:11:33
@misc{8947543,
abstract = {{The Sami are one of the world’s indigenous peoples that live in a land area referred to as Sápmi that extends over the north of Sweden, as well as parts of Norway, Finland and Russia. Part of the Sami population in Sweden lives according to their traditional way of life which includes reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing, and other resource-based activities. It is internationally recognized that indigenous peoples have a special connection to their ancestral land and access to such lands is essential in the practice of their traditional way of life. The Swedish government since the 19th century granted mining concessions to companies to exploit the mineral-rich areas in Sweden that are also part of the land area Sápmi. Mining activities adversely impact the traditional Sami way of life, as well as the access to their cultural heritage and spiritual places.
The Swedish mineral framework employs three procedural safeguards in the process surrounding the approval mining concessions; a balance of the competing interest, environmental impact assessments, and public participation in the decision-making process. In Sweden the Sami are recognized as a people, minority and indigenous peoples which entail international obligations for Sweden towards Sami, and also affects the requirements for the formulation of procedural safeguards. Sweden’s obligations under international human rights law and European human rights law stipulate specific obligations for Sweden surrounding the protection of the Sami way of life, considerations of Sami interests, Sami consultation and participation.
The balance of rights is not consistent with Sweden’s international obligations as it does not give due consideration of the Sami interests and enables an encroaching effect on the Sami way of life. The system for environmental impact assessment is not consistent with Sweden’s international obligations as it lacks explicit Sami consultations as well as considerations of reindeer husbandry and social impacts, making it unable to take due account of the Sami interest. The public participation in decision-making processes is further inconsistent with Sweden’s international obligations as the legal framework in the approval process for mining concession only stipulates a mere right to information and in the planning framework only indirect consultation opportunities. This system for Sami consultation and participation does not adhere to Sweden’s international obligations surrounding effective participation and consultation.
The procedural safeguards in the Swedish mineral framework; the balance of interests, environmental impact assessments and public participation and consultation, are not consistent with Sweden’s international obligations, under the international human rights system as well as the European human rights system.}},
author = {{Örnberg, Jonathan}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Extractive Industries and Sami in Sweden - An Analysis of the Procedural Safeguards in the Swedish Mineral Framework and Sweden's International and Regional Obligations}},
year = {{2018}},
}