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Research on Best Practices for the Implementation of the Principles of ILO Convention No. 169 Case Study: 3 The Finnmark Act (Norway), A Case Study by John B. Henriksen 2008 Programme to Promote ILO Convention No. 169 The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. 2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 5 1. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 7 2. THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.................................................................................... 9 2.1 Background............................................................................................................... 9 2.2 The Dialogue Process ............................................................................................. 11 2.3 Negotiations between the national parliament and the Sami Parliament................ 13 2.4 Post-Finnmark Act Agreement concerning Consultations ..................................... 15 3. THE FINNMARK ACT ............................................................................................... 19 3.1 The Purpose of the Act ........................................................................................... 20 3.2 The Scope of the Act............................................................................................... 23 3.3 Relationship to International Law........................................................................... 24 3.4 Guidelines for Management and Use of Uncultivated Lands................................. 27 3.5 Relationship to Established Rights ......................................................................... 30 3.6 The Finnmark Estate............................................................................................... 33 3.6.1 The Legal Position of the Finnmark Estate...................................................... 34 3.6.2 The Board of the Finnmark Estate................................................................... 35 3.6.3 Election of Board members ............................................................................. 39 3.6.4 The responsibilities of the Board ..................................................................... 40 3.6.5 Changes in the Use of Uncultivated lands and transfer of real property ......... 43 3.6.6 Distribution of Surplus assets .......................................................................... 47 3.6.7 The Control Committee ................................................................................... 48 3.6.8 National Parks on Lands owned by the Finnmark Estate ................................ 50 3.6.9 Relationship to Future Legislation................................................................... 51 3.7 Renewable Resources in Finnmark......................................................................... 52 3.7.1 Rights of municipality residents ...................................................................... 53 3.7.2 Rights of People Resident in Finnmark County .............................................. 54 3.7.3 Special Rights for Local Utilization ................................................................ 56 3.7.4 Access for Other People................................................................................... 58 3.7.5 Local Management of Fishing and Hunting .................................................... 59 3.7.6 Further Conditions for Utilization of Renewable Resources........................... 60 3.8 Fishing Rights in Tana and Neiden Watercourses.................................................. 62 3.9 Survey and recognition of existing land rights ....................................................... 64 3.9.1 The Finnmark Commission.............................................................................. 64 3.9.2 The Uncultivated Land Tribunal for Finnmark ............................................... 71 3.9.3 Joint Provisions................................................................................................ 73 3.9.4 Final Provisions ............................................................................................... 75 3.10 Analysis................................................................................................................. 80 3.10.1. The Interdependency between Process and Substance ................................. 80 3.10.2 Recognition and identification of Sami Rights to Lands and Resources....... 80 3.10.3 Management of Lands and Resources in Finnmark....................................... 87 3.10.4 Conclusions.................................................................................................... 91 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 93 Annex................................................................................................................................ 95 3 Annex 1: The Finnmark Act, as adopted by the national parliament (the Storting), 17 June 2005 ...................................................................................................................... 95 Annex 2: Draft Finnmark Act, as proposed by the Government in 2003................... 114 Annex 3: Procedures for Consultations between State Authorities and the Sami Parliament ................................................................................................................... 125 Annex 4: Guidelines for Consultations between State Authorities and the Sami Parliament and other Sami Entities............................................................................. 131 Annex 4: Questionnaire: ILO Convention No. 169 – the Finnmark Act (Norway) ... 151 4 INTRODUCTION In 1990, Norway became the first State party to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (1989). As such, the implementation of these standards in Norway was watched with great interest by other States interested in ratifying the Convention, as well as the International Labour Organization (ILO) in monitoring the application of the Convention. A diverging interpretation and understanding of the core land rights provisions of the Convention soon became apparent: The Government and the indigenous Sami Parliament in Norway differed in their understanding of the substantive content of article 14 of the Convention. The Government interpreted its obligations under article 14 to be limited to ensuring a strongly protected usufruct right to lands and natural resources for the Sami, whereas the Sami Parliament believed the State is obliged to recognize and protect Sami rights of ownership and possession, as well as usufruct rights. The difference between the positions of the Government and the Sami Parliament as far as the land rights provisions were concerned established serious constraints for their cooperation and dialogue within the framework the periodic reporting to the ILO. In 1993, when Norway had to submit its first periodic report to the ILO on the implementation of Convention, the Sami Parliament also developed its own independent report on how the Convention was being implemented. The Sami Parliament forwarded its report to the Government for submission to the ILO, but the Government did not do so as it viewed the Sami Parliament’s report as too critical and radical. It was later agreed that future reports from the Sami Parliament should always be attached to governmental periodic reports. The ILO endorsed this procedure and encouraged the parties to work on this basis in the future. The provisions of the ILO Convention, in particular its provisions concerning land rights, have been in the center stage of the domestic Sami political debate ever since Norway ratified the Convention. Norway’s obligations under the Convention, in particular as far as Sami land rights are concerned, have been the subject for numerous legal studies in 5 Norway. The studies conducted by the Sami Rights Committee, are of major importance in this regard. The work of the Sami Rights Committee paved the way for the 2005- adoption of the Finnmark Act, through which approximately 95 per cent of the landmass in Finnmark County was transferred from the State to a private entity - called the Finnmark Estate.1 Case Study2 This case study is an introduction to the Finnmark Act, and an analysis of the Act in relation to the ILO Convention. The study focuses on the process leading to the adoption of the Act and the substantive content of the Act, as well as the interdependency between the process and the substantive legal content of the Act. Besides focusing on State’s obligation to consult the indigenous peoples concerned through appropriate procedures whenever consideration is being given to legislative or other measures which may affect them directly, the case study also demonstrates that consultations can have enormous substantive influence. The case study aims at giving an overall introduction and analysis of the process and the substantive content of the Act, rather than a detailed legal analysis of the individual provisions of the Finnmark Act. Methodology The case study is based