A/HRC/33/42/Add.3 I. Introduction 1. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur examines the human rights situation of the Sami people in Norway, Sweden and Finland on the basis of information received during her visit to the Sápmi region, including during a conference organized by the Sami Parliamentary Council in Bierke/Hemavan, Sweden, from 25 to 27 August 2015, and on the basis of independent research. The visit was carried out in follow-up to the 2010 visit of the previous Special Rapporteur, James Anaya. 2. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur travelled to Stockholm, where she met with government officials, and to Bierke/Hemavan where she met with the Swedish Minister for Culture and Democracy, government officials from Norway, Sweden and Finland and representatives of the three Sami Parliaments. In addition, the Special Rapporteur spoke with representatives of local Sami communities and Sami non-governmental organizations. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Governments of Norway, Sweden and Finland for their openness and willingness to hold constructive discussions on the situation of the Sami people. She would like to express her appreciation to the Sami Parliamentary Council for organizing the conference in Bierke/Hemavan, and is grateful to the Sami Parliaments and local Sami communities for the information they provided and for their hospitality. She is also grateful to the staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for their assistance in ensuring the success of the mission. 3. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur does not purport to address all of the issues related to the Sami people, or even all of the issues covered by the former Special Rapporteur in his report on the situation of the Sami people in the Sápmi region of Norway, Sweden and Finland (A/HRC/18/35/Add.2). During her visit, the Special Rapporteur heard significant concerns about the increase in natural resource investments in the Sápmi region and the adverse impacts the investments may have on the rights of the Sami people, and the States’ balancing of interests in that regard. The balance, which is rarely free of conflict, is a primary focus of the present report, although other key developments and issues are also raised. Conscious of the need to find workable solutions, the Special Rapporteur focuses her report on reviewing the sectoral legislation regulating natural resource investments in Norway, Sweden and Finland, and offers recommendations for measures that should be taken to ensure that the three States are not out of step with contemporary human rights values. II. The Sami people 4. The Sami people traditionally inhabit a territory known as Sápmi, which traverses the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Russian Kola peninsula. Although the Sami are divided by the formal boundaries of the four States, they continue to exist as one people and are united by cultural and linguistic bonds and a common identity. Regrettably, the Special Rapporteur did not have an opportunity to meet with representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation and Russian Sami during her visit. The present report will focus on the situation of the Sami people in Norway, Sweden and Finland only. 5. The Sami people’s culture and traditions have evolved over hundreds of years through a close connection to nature and land. Traditionally, the Sami have relied on hunting, fishing, gathering and trapping, with reindeer herding, in particular, of central importance. Some Sami communities, referred to as Sea Sami or Coastal Sami, settled in the coastal areas within what is today Norway. The State borders that now divide the Sami homeland were established over a 200-year period, roughly from the middle of the 3