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Advanced Unedited Version United Nations E/C.19/2013/8 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General _____ 2013 Original: English ADVANCED UNEDITED VERSION Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Twelfth session New York, 20-31 May 2013 Item 9 of the provisional agenda1 Future work of the Permanent Forum, including matters of the Economic and Social Council and emerging issues Study on the Right to participation in decision-making processes of indigenous youth in the Nordic countries2 At its eleventh session the Permanent Forum appointed Eva Biaudet3, a member of the Forum, to undertake a study on the right to participation in decision- making processes of indigenous youth in the Nordic countries, to be submitted to the Forum at its twelfth session. 1 E/C.19/2013/1. 2 The Department of Economic and Social Affairs bears no responsibility for the views and recommendations in this report. 3 The author would like to acknowledge the work of Tove Holmström for this report and would also like to extend her gratitude to Sagka Marie Danielsen, Àike Niilas Peder Selfors, Josefina Skerk and Inka Nuorgam for their assistance with this study. A warm thank you also goes out to the members of the Sami Parliaments’ youth councils/youth committee and to the respondents of the questionnaire for taking the time to share their concerns, experiences and priorities. Advanced Unedited Version E/C.19/2013/8 I. Introduction 1. The study covers Sami youth in Finland, Sweden and Norway, and Inuit (Greenlandic) youth in Greenland. Given the high number of Greenlandic residents in Denmark,4 this study also takes into account Greenlandic youth residing in Denmark and how they are heard in matters of relevance to them. 2. The study provides a review of the three major Sami political institutions (the Sami Parliaments of Finland, Sweden and Norway) as well as the Parliament of Greenland (the Inatsisartut), and examines to what extent these institutions allow for the participation of youth in their decision-making processes. The present study also looks to what extent young indigenous activists feel that they are successful in influencing and setting the political agenda, and what indigenous youth expect from their Parliaments. 3. The study reviews the Parliaments as examples of good practices of youth participation, but also highlights some of the challenges for young persons who wish to participate in decision-making processes. Pointing to prospects for future work, the author puts forward conclusions and recommendations to the four Parliaments on how to better include young people in their decision-making. 4. The study draws on answers submitted by the Sami Parliaments and the Inatsisartut, communication with members of the Sami Parliaments’ Youth Councils and on-site interviews with young Greenlanders in Nuuk and Copenhagen. Questionnaires developed by indigenous youth were posted in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and 4 Grønlændere bosiddende i Danmark – faktahæfte med en statistisk gennemgang: fact- sheet prepared by the North Atlantic Group in the Danish Parliament, estimates the number of Greenlanders living in Denmark to 18 563 (2007). 2 Advanced Unedited Version E/C.19/2013/8 Greenland. By November 2012, 262 young Sami and Greenlanders had answered the questionnaire and their answers, comments and suggestions form an important part of this study.5 II. Relevant normative framework for securing the right to participation in decision- making of youth 5. The right to participation is a human right, and fundamental to the exercise of many other rights. The foundations of the right to participation are shaped by the possibility of any individual to be involved in decision-making which affects his or her interests. Everyone should be able to participate in society, to defend his or her interests and to help create a society which also fulfils his or her interests and desires.6 6. The right of young persons to be heard and taken seriously constitutes one of the fundamental principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)7. The right to be heard extends to all actions and decision that affect the young persons’ lives – in school, in local communities, in political institutions and at the national political level. 5 Finland: 63 respondents (with a ratio of 71, 4 % female respondents to 27, 0 % male), Sweden: 23 respondents (69, 6 % female respondents, 30, 4 % male respondents), Norway: 55 respondents (61, 8 % female, 38, 2 % male), Greenland: 27 respondents (65, 4 % female, 34, 6 % male) and Denmark: 94 respondents (68, 1 % female, 31, 9 male). 6 Icelandic Human Rights Center/ The right to participate in society (http://www.humanrights.is/the-human- rights- project/humanrightscasesandmaterials/humanrightsconceptsideasandfora/substantivehumanrights/therighttopartici pateinsociety/). 7 Article 12 of the CRC provides a right for children to participate in decision-making in matters that affect them. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has identified article 12 as one of the four general principles of the 3 Advanced Unedited Version E/C.19/2013/8 The Committee on the Rights of the Child has promoted a broad interpretation of matters affecting the young person as “a wide interpretation of matters affecting the child and children helps to include children in the social processes of their community and society”.8 7. Under the CRC, the concept of participation9 emphasizes that including youth should not only be a momentary act, but the starting point for an exchange between youth and adults on the development of policies, programmes and measures in all relevant contexts of young peoples’ lives.10 Article 12 of the Convention requires consistent and ongoing arrangements. Fulfilling the right to participation involves developing a direct relationship with youth, and not just establishing one that is mediated through non- governmental organizations or human rights institutions11. 8. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has noted that in most societies around the world, the implementation of any young person’s right to express her or his view on a wide range of issues that affect her or him, and to have those views taken into account, Convention and that the article establishes not only a right in itself, but should also be considered in the interpretation and implementation of all other rights. 8 Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment no. 12 (2009) concerning the right of the child to be heard para. 27 (CRC/C/GC/12). 9 Although the term participation does not itself appear in the text of article 12 of the CRC, a widespread practice broadly conceptualized as “participation” has emerged in recent years in translating the right embodied in Article 12 into practice. 10 The Committee on the Rights of the Child: General Comment No. 12 concerning the Right of the Child to be heard, 2009. 11 Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 5 (2203) concerning General measures of implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (arts. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6) (CRC/GC/2003/5) para.12. 4 Advanced Unedited Version E/C.19/2013/8 continues to be impeded by long-standing practices and attitudes, as well as political and economic barriers.12 9. Indeed, the participatory thrust of the CRC often demands considerable change in cultural attitudes towards young people. Appearing to listen to children and youth is relatively unchallenging, but giving due weight to their views requires real change.13 Article 12 of the CRC requires that governments, political institutions and civil society organizations listen to youth and take their views seriously, and recognize the value of young person’s experiences and concerns. 10. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) contains no specific provision on youth and their right to participation, but recognizes the vulnerability of indigenous youth in a number of its articles.14 The UNDRIP also has many references to participation, including free, prior and informed consent and self- determination, which applies to indigenous youth even if they are not specifically mentioned in these articles. The World Programme of Action for Youth, adopted by the General Assembly in 1995, also highlights the importance of youth participation and establishes full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision- making as one of its priority areas. III. Survey of the four mechanisms 12 Committee on the Rights of the Child: General Comment No. 12 concerning the Right of the Child to be heard, 2009. 13 Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 5 (2003) concerning General measures of implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (arts. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6) (CRC/GC/2003/5), para. 12. 14 See, for instance, articles 21 (1) and 22 (2) of the UNDRIP. 5 Advanced Unedited Version E/C.19/2013/8 A. Sami Parliament of Finland: Youth council 11. The Sami Parliament of Finland established its youth council in 2011. The council is on an equal footing to the Parliament’s other committees. The members of the youth council are appointed on a bi-annual basis by the Parliament’s Assembly. The youth council consists of five members between 18-25 years of age. The Assembly also elects five permanent experts (15-17 years old at the time of their election) to serve as advisors to the youth council for a term of two years. The Finnish Sami Parliament employs a full time youth secretary who works with matters that concern youth and serves as the secretary to the youth council. 12. The youth council prepares the Sami Parliament’s proposals, initiatives and statements on Sami youth; promotes the rights of Sami youth to their own languages and culture; promotes national and international Sami youth cooperation; and disseminates information about Sami youth and their rights.
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