A seat at the table: the case of Sámi paradiplomacy and participatory rights in arctic governance
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Published Version
Date
2026-03-10
Authors
Kavanagh, Elena
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Volume Title
Publisher
Brill
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Abstract
This paper examines the intersection of paradiplomacy and the participatory rights of Indigenous peoples. It critically analyzes the legal mechanisms behind Indigenous peoples’ participation in Arctic decision-making. The study explores how Arctic Indigenous peoples, through paradiplomacy and exercising their participatory rights, navigate complex geopolitical landscapes through the “continuum of urgencies” and advocate for their rights. The Arctic Indigenous peoples, engaging in paradiplomacy, share valuable Indigenous knowledge that can benefit the global community in the face of unifying threats and developed geopolitical instability in the region. This paper’s approach is grounded in the concept of co-production of knowledge from both Indigenous and Western perspectives. It is based on Indigenous cosmologies and the plurality of ways of knowing. Despite the increasing recognition of Indigenous paradiplomacy, significant legal and political challenges jeopardise the Arctic Council’s work. The question arises: Is a subnational cross-border unit like the Sámi Council capable of solving issues that national states are unable to settle? The paper discusses the scope of participatory rights, the integration of Indigenous knowledge in governance structures, and the regulatory framework governing paradiplomatic activities.
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Keywords
Indigenous peoples , Indigenous self-determination , Participatory rights , Sámi , Arctic governance , United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples , ~Law - Journal Articles~
Citation
Kavanagh, E. (2026) ‘A seat at the table: the case of sámi paradiplomacy and participatory rights in arctic governance’, The Yearbook of Polar Law Online, 17(1), pp. 41–63. https://doi.org/10.1163/22116427_017010005