According to the Norweigen Saami Parliament, the Saami would like three places on the Nordic Council, giving them much greater representation than afforded by their current “observer status”. The Saami Council sought such representation in 1996, and the status of their relationship to the Nordic Council was voted on five times. President of the Saami Parliamentary Council, Sven-Roald Nysto, said such recognition “would be a further step in the [Nordic Council] renewal process, which began with the admission of Greenland, the Faroes and Aland.” Nysto added, “Nordic co-operation in the form of the Nordic Council is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, yet not all Nordic peoples are represented in this organization.”
