Article 15

The Parties shall create the conditions necessary for the effective participation of persons belonging to national minorities in cultural, social and economic life and in public affairs, in particular those affecting them.

The Swedish-speaking Finns

It can be noted that Swedish-speaking Finns participate in cultural, social and economic life on equal standing with the majority of the population.

The Samis

Section 52 a in the Parliament Act states that Sams shall be heard in a matter of special consequence to them, as further provided in the Procedure of Parliament. Section 16 in the Procedure of Parliament states that when considering a legislative proposal or another matter which especially concerns the Sami, a committee shall, unless specific reasons otherwise warrant, give the representatives of the Sami an opportunity to be heard. In practice, representatives of the Sami Parliament are heard in these cases.

Furthermore, under section 56 of the Skolt Act (256/1995) State and municipal authorities shall give the Skolt Sami an opportunity to be heard in important matters concerning the means of living and conditions of the Skolt Sami.

The Samis as an indigenous people are guaranteed cultural autonomy according to Section 51a in the Constitution Act. Further provisions on the cultural autonomy are contained in the Act on the Sami Parliament. The purpose of the Act is to guarantee the Sami as an indigenous people cultural autonomy in respect to their language and culture (Section l). In matters pertaining to its tasks, the Sami Parliament represents the Sami in national and international connections (Section 6). The authorities shall negotiate with the Sami Parliament in all far-reaching and important measures which may directly and in a specific way affect the status of the Sami as an indigenous people and which concern matters in the Sami Homeland as referred to in the Act (Section 9).

The Supreme Administrative Court, by its decision 15.5.1996 T 1447, quashed the decisions of the Ministry of Trade and Industry concerning eighteen claims to mines on the grounds that the Ministry had not, before making the decisions, examined the effects of the claims on reindeer keeping among the Sami population, and referred the matter back to the Ministry for reconsideration. The Ministry of Trade and Industry reconsidered the claim documents and requested a written opinion from the Sami Parliament on 1 December 1997. The Sami Parliament gave its opinion on 19 February 1998. A new decision was made on 30 April 1998, and instructions to be followed when claims to names are made in the Sami reindeer keeping areas were attached to the claim documents. These instructions were negotiated with the representatives of the Sami Parliament.

At present there are 22 appeals concerning claims to mines in the Sami Homeland under consideration before the Supreme Administrative Court.

The Roma

When legislation has been prepared and discussed in the parliamentary committees, the opinions of the Roma population have more and more been taken into account. The hearing has taken place in different ways, but in most cases through the Advisory Board for Roma Affairs.

Political representation

There are no specific minority parties in Finland. Politically active persons representing a minority group are members of different parties to which they choose to belong.

Nor are there seats reserved for minorities in Parliament, with the exception of the one seat of the member of Parliament representing Aland. The existing electoral system does not make a full political participation of small ethnic and other groups possible, because it is in practice difficult for persons representing such groups to be elected. Thus for example the Sami people do not have their own member of Parliament, and nor has a person representing the Roma ever been elected to Parliament. There are nearly twenty Swedish-speaking Finns among the members of Parliament.

At the local level it is possible for persons representing small groups to be elected. The Sami, the Roma, the Tatars and the Swedish-speaking Finns have representatives in town councils.

Autonomy

As has been mentioned above, the Province of Aland is autonomous and the Sami have cultural autonomy within their homelands. According to section 3 of the Act on the Autonomy of Aland the Aland Legislative Assembly shall represent the people of Aland. The administration of Aland is vested in the government of Aland. The Legislative Assembly shall enact legislation for Aland (Acts of Aland) (section 17).

Advisory Boards

There is an Advisory Board for Sami Affairs subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, having as its duty the co-ordination and preparation of matters concerning the Sami people. The Advisory Board for Roma Affairs is subordinate to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and is responsible for monitoring the development of possibilities for social participation and of living conditions of the Roma population, for taking initiatives and promoting the status of the Roma language and culture.

The interests and the status of the Swedish-speaking Finns and the Swedish language are monitored by the Swedish Assembly.

As an answer to the question asked in the Outline for Statereports Foreigners' right to vote

Any 18-year old Finnish citizen has the right to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections. According to section 11, subsection 2 of the Constitution Act, "every Finnish citizen and every alien residing permanently in Finland shall have the right to vote in local elections and in local referenda in the manner prescribed by Act of Parliament, provided that he has reached the age of eighteen years(...)". Citizens of Member States of the European Union as well as citizens of Norway and Iceland have the right to vote in local elections on the same conditions as Finnish citizens, while other foreign citizens are expected to have resided permanently in Finland for two years before getting the right to vote.