ABSTRACT
This chapter gives a brief overview of the key international instruments concerning indigenous and minority rights in the Nordic countries. It focuses on the status of the Sami and the Inuit as indigenous peoples and to what extent this status and the right to self-determination is legally recognized in national law. The chapter focuses on the current status of established political institutions for self-governance for the Sami and the Inuit. In comparison, Finland stated in its fourth periodic report in 1995 that the 'position of the Sámi people is discussed under article 27' of Human Rights Committee (HRC ), implying that the rights of the Sami were considered as minority rights and do not include peoples' right to self-determination. The chapter gives an overview of the national forums for indigenous self-governance in the four countries, as well as two regional bodies of interest: the Sami Parliamentary Council and the Nordic Council.
