On March 15, the United Nations General Assembly voted 170–4 to create a new Human Rights Council, effectively dissolving the oft-criticized Commission on Human Rights. Candidates for the Council will need to be elected by an absolute majority of 96 votes in order to secure a position, and once elected members can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

The Norwegian University of Tromso Center for Sami Studies is at the forefront of Sami advocacy, research, sustainability studies, education, and cultural preservation. The University offers specialized degrees, hosts lectures, steers committees, holds forums, provides multilingual courses, and awards grants to scholars and organizations. Much of their efforts are aimed specifically at sustaining and studying the Sami culture.