Opening speech of the symposium “Climate, Environment, and Land Use” with the representatives of Sámi Parliament in Inari Sajos Cultural Centre

Madam President, dear Pirita, honourable speakers, dear colleagues, welcome to our joint symposium with representatives of the Sámi Parliament, on Climate, Environment, and Land Use!

When Finland was awarded ACA-Presidency for 2023-2025, we immediately started to ponder the venues of the two main colloquia. One in Helsinki, sure, but what would be a unique, different experience for our international colleagues? During the previous presidencies we have had privilege to visit enormously interesting, world-famous cultural sites. What would we like to show to our foreign guests? Our answer was clear: Finnish nature, silence, midnight sun, and the living conditions and culture of the only indigenous people in the European Union, the Sámi people.

But we did not only want to come here as tourists but with true wish to communicate with the representatives of the Sámi people. It was a coincidence that the Board of ACA-Europe last year had chosen the topic of the so-called transversal analysis between our member and observer states to be “Can the Supreme Administrative Courts save the climate/environment?” The analysis covered topics linked to Climate, Environment, and Land Use. Obviously, these issues are topical and especially acute here in the high north for people who literally live from the nature. Hence, we decided to propose a joint symposium here in Inari with the representatives of the Sami Parliament and ACA-Europe.

Therefore, we are extremely happy that the Sámi Parliament was willing to accept our invitation to organise a symposium together, which enables us to be better acquainted with the living conditions and threats to the Sámi culture, including reindeer husbandry and keeping the three Sámi languages alive, and discuss the future challenges linked to the climate, environment, and land use, which are to some extent common, but obviously very different here north from the Arctic Circle.

An excellent example of the culture of the Sámi people is the Sami Museum Siida, which some three weeks ago was chosen as the European Museum of the year, and also very recently as the museum of the year in Finland. Congratulations! It goes without saying that we all will have the opportunity to visit the museum Monday evening.

Last but not least, it is my great pleasure to express our warmest thanks to my colleague justice, Dr Tuomas Kuokkanen who has been responsible for organising the symposium and drafting the programme in close cooperation with the representatives of the Sami Parliament. Tuomas will also chair the second part of the symposium.

And now, I have the honour to give the floor to Ms Pirita Näkkäläjärvi, the President of the Sami Parliament. President Näkkäläjärvi holds, among her other outstanding merits, Master´s degrees from Helsinki and London on economics and communication, and she has been working for several renowned international companies. Pirita, please!