Laponian Area

• Proposed Kallak mining development in the vicinity of the property
• Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
• Management systems/management plan

N/A

On 30 January 2024, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/774/documents/, and reports the following:

• In March 2022, the Swedish government granted an exploitation concession for the Kallak K No.1 area for the right to extract and exploit iron in the wider setting of the property based on 12 conditions. The concession determines who has the right to extract, but does not give the right to start operations, which would require a permit under the Swedish Environmental Code. The conditions require the company concerned to engage in dialogue with the Swedish National Heritage Board and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that any development takes into account the World Heritage status of the property (condition 9) and to undertake a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in accordance with the principles of the IUCN World Heritage Advice Note on Environmental Assessment (condition 12), now superseded by the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context (Guidance);
• In June 2022, the concession was appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Sámi village of Jåhkågasska, and has therefore not gained legal force. The authorities have made initial contact with the company pending the appeal, but are awaiting the court’s decision and the impact assessment before the required dialogue can begin;
• Concerns raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment regarding the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of the Sámi people have been addressed by including specific conditions in the terms of the concession to minimise negative impacts on reindeer husbandry. These include consultation with the Sámi reindeer herding communities and the Sámi Parliament, using the smallest possible area of land (condition 3), compensating affected reindeer herding communities (conditions 4 and 5), and facilitating reindeer migration past the concession area as much as possible (condition 6). Regular consultations aimed at reaching a consensus with reindeer husbandry communities on how to avoid disruption to reindeer husbandry are required, and an annual report on consultations is required (condition 8). The impact assessment will need to address the rights of Sámi as indigenous peoples in accordance with the aforementioned Guidance and the 2022 Act on consultation on issues concerning the Sámi people, which contains specific consultation provisions on the rights of the Sámi to influence matters affecting them;
• The joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission to the property was invited in October 2023;
• In accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, the State Party reports on plans to extend and reinforce the National Grid’s energy transmission system, including within the Stubba Nature Reserve, which is part of the World Heritage property. A concession application for a power line between Porjusberget and Vitafors was submitted in December 2023. The company will need to obtain a permit from the Land and Environment Court for any activities or measures that may have a significant impact on the natural environment in a Natura 2000 protected area. The planned extension of a second powerline through the Stubba Nature Reserve to Naalojärvi-Messaure is at an early stage of planning, with a consultation process to identify potential impacts on the property, including an impact assessment;
• Other reported issues that may impact the property include climate change and general anthropogenic influence, as well as off-road vehicles associated with reindeer husbandry.

In accordance with Paragraph 174 of the Operational Guidelines, on 2 April 2024, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party regarding a media article about the Government’s official endorsement of the Kallak mining concession. This was confirmed by the State Party in a response dated 14 May 2024.

Due to climatic conditions in the Laponian Area, the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/IUCN Reactive Monitoring Mission to the property took place from 27 to 31 May 2024.

The proposed Kallak mining development and exploitation concession in the vicinity of the property remains a cause for concern. It is noted that at the time of the joint Reactive Monitoring mission, the concession, which had been granted by the Government in 2022, had not entered into force pending the outcome of an appeal brought to the Supreme Administrative Court in the same year by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Sámi village of Jåhkågasska. The World Heritage Centre has since learned through the media that on 25 June 2024, the Court decided to dismiss the appeal and uphold the previous government’s decision to approve the concession.

It is noted that the concession determines who has the right to extraction, but that a further environmental permit would be required under the Swedish Environmental Code before any mining could take place, and that the concession requires the proponent to undertake an impact assessment in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context. The concession also includes a number of conditions relating to indigenous Sámi communities and reindeer herding practices, which are recognised as part of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property.

It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request that the revised impact assessment, focusing on the potential impacts on the OUV of the property and specifically addressing the Statement of OUV of the property and its supporting attributes, be completed and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before any decision is taken that would be difficult to reverse, including an application for an environmental permit for a mining operation. It is recommended that the State Party submit the Terms of Reference for the revised impact assessment to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. Overall, a permit that would allow mining should not be issued if the project will have a negative impact on the OUV of the property.

The information that the State Party is addressing the concerns raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment regarding the FPIC of the Sámi through specific concession conditions is noted. Whilst noting that the mission report will provide further recommendations on this matter, it is recommended to reiterate the request to the State Party to ensure that any further consideration of the proposed mine guarantees the FPIC of the Sámi indigenous people, in accordance with international norms and standards, including the Convention.

Regarding the two planned extensions of the national grids to Gallivare and Kiruna and to Naalojärvi-Messaure, it should be noted that one of them cuts through the Stubba Nature Reserve within the World Heritage property and the other one crosses its immediate vicinity and could therefore impact its OUV, in particular the scenic value of the property according to criterion (vii). While an impact assessment is foreseen for the second power grid to Naalojärvi-Messaure, no such impact assessment has been notified for the powerline to Gallivare and Kiruna. It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure that both projects are assessed for their potential impacts on the OUV in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and that the project documentation and associated impact assessments are submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

In addition, in the questionnaire for the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting, the State Party indicated that a new hydrogen manufacture located on the border of the World Heritage property and a windmill upgrade that might affect the visual sightline are both in the planning stage. This information, including project documentation and exact location, should be communicated to the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before any decisions are taken that would be difficult to reverse. It is recommended that the Committee reiterate the importance of undertaking impact assessments for any development that may impact the OUV, in accordance with the aforementioned Guidance and Toolkit, before authorising these projects.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies note that there are numerous existing and potential extractive and energy-related infrastructure developments and other interventions within and around the property, and that it is essential to ensure that effective means are in place to fully and comprehensively consider the cumulative impacts of multiple developments on the OUV of the property. The State Party should not permit individual projects on a case-by-case basis, if the cumulative impact on the OUV is likely to be unacceptable. It is noted that the mission report will provide further recommendations on this matter, including possible actions in relation to Strategic Environmental Assessment or project-based impact assessment, and it will be important for the State Party to act on these recommendations in a timely manner, prior to the 47th session of the Committee, in order to ensure the conservation of the OUV of the property.

The full report of the Reactive Monitoring mission will be available after the present Committee session and its conclusions and recommendations will be presented to the Committee at its 47th session.