Europe's indigenous Sámi people take fight for rights to United Nations

Europe's indigenous Sámi people have taken their fight for improved rights to the United Nations.

A delegation from Finland, home to the EU's only recognised indigenous population, appealed for help to keep the incoming government on-track with legislative reforms.  

Earlier this year, politicians in Helsinki failed to get the long-awaited Sámi Parliament Act out of committee stage in time for a vote before the end of the parliamentary year. 

Sanna Marin has previously apologised after a Euronews investigation revealed how little progress had been made on the Act during her time in office -- an important document which is supposed to redefine the relationship between the Finnish State and the Sámi people. 

This week the President of the Sámi Parliament in Inari, Tuomas Aslak Juuso, gave an impassioned address to the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues about the human rights challenges facing Finland's Sámi community.

He described the existing legislation as "outdated" and told the UN Forum that much of the impetus for consulting and drafting new statues, which had been years in the making, were because of rulings made by the UN -- which said the current Sámi Parliament Act violates human rights conventions. 

"We are deeply disappointed that the long-delayed reform did not move ahead also during this Government’s term. The Sámi people must again wait longer for their human rights to be," said Juuso. 

"We urge Finland to immediately revise the Act on the Sámi Parliament based on the bill negotiated during Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s term and in a manner that respects the right of the Sámi people to exercise their self-determination," he told Forum members, asking them to monitor any progress the Finnish