Department of Indigenous and National Minority Affairs

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development

Department of Indigenous and National Minority Affairs is tasked with implementing and following up the Government's objectives in the policy towards the Sami population and the national minorities: Jews, Kven /Norwegian Finns, Roma, Forest Finns and Romani people/Taters.

The department is also tasked with following up the ministry's goal to work for coherence and consistency in the policies toward the Sami and the national minorities, across sectors and administrative areas. The department assists the ministries in their contact with the Sami Parliament and the national minority organizations.

With respect to the policies towards the Sami, the department follows up the government's goal of facilitating the conditions for the Sami to develop and strengthen their culture, language and way of life. The department also participates in Norway's contribution to the development of international indigenous politics and working on coordination of Sami issues at the Nordic level.

Concerning the policy towards the national minorities, the department works to ensure that national minorities are consulted and their views taken into account, in line with the objectives of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages.

The department follows up budgetary and administrative matters concerning Sámediggi (the Sami Parliament) and facilitates contact and dialogue between the Government and Sámediggi. The department is also charged with administrative follow-up of one subordinate agency: International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR).