Chair,
I speak on behalf of the Sámi Parliaments in Norway, Finland and Sweden, and the
Saami Council.

We are witnessing a rapidly changing security environment, including increasing
geopolitical tensions, climate-related risks, and growing pressures on Indigenous
Peoples’ lands and livelihoods.

For Indigenous Peoples, these developments are not abstract. They translate into
concrete and immediate impacts on health and well-being.

In the Arctic, climate change is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. At the same time,
the green transition, extractive activities and harmful development are intensifying
pressures on our territories. This aTects our food systems, traditional ways of life,
physical and mental health, cultural continuity, and the transmission of knowledge.

Health must be understood in a holistic sense, as reflected in the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It encompasses physical and mental wellbeing, culture,
language, land, identity and self-determination. These dimensions are inseparable. This
understanding is grounded in Indigenous Peoples knowledge and lived realities, and it
must be reflected in health policy and practice.

A right-based and cultural safe approach must be fully integrated into national health
systems through meaningful participation and respect for Indigenous governance. An
example from Sápmi is Sámi klinihkka. Although it is a specialized service designed for
our people, we still lack the necessary influence over its governance and content. This
lack of self-determination is a serious concern that the Sámi Parliament in Norway has
formally raised with the ILO Expert Committee, emphasizing that without Indigenous
control, we cannot ensure the trust and cultural safety essential for equitable
healthcare.

Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health and well-being requires sustained commitment to
the full and eTective implementation of rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Sámi Parliaments recommend that the Forum urge Member States to adopt a more
holistic approach to Indigenous Peoples’ health. This should include establishing
systems that ensure our meaningful participation in the design, governance, and
delivery of health services. Furthermore, we call for the integration of health
perspectives across all UN bodies and processes, particularly those concerning climate
change, biodiversity, food systems, and Indigenous Peoples knowledge.

Thank you. Olu giitu.