The Laponia process

Laponialogga

A unique process is going on between 2007-2009 with the purpose of make a new management
plan for the world heritage as well as a model for local management organisation.

Management issues

95% of the land is in state ownership and under very strict national park and other nature
conservation legal control. There are three main stakeholders in the management; the Sami
society, two municipalities and the County Administrative Board who is responsible for the
overall management of the site. At the time of the World Heritage inscription Laponia was
the first collaborative project between nature and culture conservation authorities in Sweden;
the National Heritage Board and National Environmental Protection Agency within the framework
of the World Heritage Convention.

The management coordination of the World Heritage Site was identified as a key issue in the
early stages of the nomination process. In 1996, the World Heritage Committee recommended
that the Swedish authorities continue to work with local Sami people and consolidate the
management plan for the site. Many of the overlapping nature conservation regulations lack
legitimacy in the eyes of the local community and there are fundamental conflicts concerning
management that arise from disputed ownership, for example over restrictions placed on the
Sámi community over land and resource use.

Response

A few years after the inscription the Sami representatives questioned the conservation approach
in the County plan and submitted their proposal for a management plan to the government. It
focussed especially on enhancing Sami culture aiming at a Sami World Heritage management
plan. Parallel programmes with the focus on nature conservation and a range of development
proposals were drafted by the municipalities and the County administration, and the management
progress came to a standstill. Not until almost ten years later a new initiative by the County has
gathered all stakeholders in a “Laponia process” and an agreement on management objectives
has been reached. The aim is a new value – based World Heritage management strategy.

The proposed management structure includes one coordinated delegation body with representatives
from the Sámi society, the municipalities, the County and the National Environmental Protection
Agency. It will deal with the different authorities on all matters concerning the Laponia World
Heritage site. The Laponia delegation will meet regularly and does not deal with operational issues.
These will be developed by thematic working groups who meet monthly to develop proposals for
current management issues. While the process leading to a coordinated management plan has
been lengthy, the stakeholders now recognise that it has taken time to learn about each other´s
needs and development objectives.