Invest in Russia — invest in Russian regions!
All news

Murmansk Forum to Address Sustainable Development of Russia’s Indigenous Peoples

14 September 2022
Устойчивое развитие коренных малочисленных народов России  обсудят на форуме в Мурманске

Murmansk will host the International Forum ‘Public-Private Partnership for the Sustainable Development of Indigenous Peoples’ on 9–12 October. The participants will discuss the sustainable development of Indigenous peoples as well as approaches to government regulation and the involvement of business in this regard. The Forum will be held as part of the plan of events of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council, which are organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

“The diverse cultures of the peoples of Russia is one of our country’s main values. Moreover, the sustainable development of human capital in Russia is closely linked to the social responsibility of business, and full-fledged cooperation between the state and private entities is a key aspect in this regard. I am certain that the Forum participants will be able to hold comprehensive discussions about the prospects for developing interaction between the state and business and also come up with proposals that will allow us to modernize the existing regulatory practices,” said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023.

“The Forum’s goals are consistent with the current international and national agenda, the priorities of Indigenous peoples, as well as the challenges of ensuring the country’s socioeconomic development, including the functioning of the most important sectors of the economy,” Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs Director Igor Barinov said.

In particular, the Forum participants will consider the standards of corporate strategies and business policy in relations with Indigenous peoples, projects and programmes for their development, systems of consultations and agreements between stakeholders, the approaches of government regulation, and the effectiveness of the involvement of Indigenous peoples in decision-making.

The event will be attended by the authorities of the regions where Indigenous peoples traditionally reside, experts from non-governmental organizations that work on sustainable development and the protection of the rights of humans and Indigenous peoples, multilateral development institutions, industrial companies that operate in regions where Indigenous peoples traditionally reside, and associations of business communities.

The business programme includes a plenary session, five panel sessions, and roundtables on various aspects of the sustainable development of Indigenous peoples, as well as their effective relationships with industrial companies and government entities.

The key theme of the Forum will be an assessment of the feasibility of forming a National Standard in matters concerning the sustainable development of Russia’s Indigenous peoples and ensuring their rights in the context of economic development. The Forum will conclude with a consultation round that will aim to find effective approaches to improving relations between business and Indigenous peoples, as well as building expert potential in this area.

As part of the cultural programme, participants will visit the Lenin atomic icebreaker, get to know Murmansk during a sightseeing tour, attend a performance of the plays ‘Sun’ and ‘I’m a Person!’ by the Ob-Ugric peoples, and visit the Sam Syit exhibition in a Sami village.

The Forum is being organized by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and MMC Norilsk Nickel. The event’s partners include the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North and the National Network of the Global Compact Association.

For more information or to register for the Forum, please visit https://forum-murmansk2022.ru.

One of the main priorities of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023 is to develop human capital in the region, including the Indigenous peoples of the North. Russia devotes special attention to maintaining the sustainability and viability of the peoples of the North, promoting measures to adapt them to climate change, improving people’s well-being, health, education, and quality of life, and ensuring sustainable socioeconomic development throughout the region. The Russian side has initiated projects to digitalize the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Indigenous peoples of the North, develop renewable energy sources, create an international Arctic research station that runs on carbon-free energy, and ensure biosecurity in the Arctic. In addition, Russia is preparing draft proposals on the traditional medicine of Indigenous peoples and the development of creative industries in the Arctic, and is working on an initiative to create Digital Museums of the Arctic.