Natural resource development in indigenous areas, including the construction of wind parks as part of the national renewable energy initiative, raises several human rights issues. In June 2019, NIM arranged a seminar in Karasjok together with Norway’s National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct to discuss the impacts of natural resource development on the Sámi people and the responsibility of businesses to respect human rights. This is the report from the seminar.

In this report, we wish to clarify State authorities’ human rights obligations to prevent, combat and investigate violence and abuse where the person exposed to violence or abuse is Sámi. The report also examines the situation today to better understand the challenges that prevent Sámi victims of violence from receiving adequate help and the measures implemented by Norwegian authorities to remedy this problem. We point out deficiencies in the State’s compliance with its obligation to secure the rights and freedoms of the people within its jurisdiction and make a number of recommendations for improvement.