5^th Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the North in Moscow

Elena Krikunenko, Center of support for Indigenous Peoples of the North / Russian Indigenous Training Center (CSIPN/RITC); ANSIPRA

The 5^th Congress of the Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation took place on 12-13 April 2005 in Moscow , in the Large Hall of the Russian Academy of State Service. The Congress gathered 334 delegates of 29 territories of the Russian Federation , representing all indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East .

    Taking part in the Congress were:

• Foreign Minister of RF, С.V. Yavrov,
• Minister of Regional Development of RF, V.А. Yakovlev,
• Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, М.Е. Nikolaev,
• Chairman of the Committee of the North and Indigenous peoples, G.D. Oleinik,
• Chairman of the Committee on the Problems of the North and the Far East of the RF, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly, А.N. Chilingarov,
• Chariman of the Council of the Assembly of the Peoples of Russia , R.G. Abdulatipov,
• Deputy Minister of Regional Development, M.N. Ponomarev,
• Director of the Department of Inter-Ethnic Relations of the Ministry of Regional Policy of RF, Yu.V. Balakhnin,
• Chairman of the Committee of Interregional Relations and Ethnic Policy of the City of Moscow , M.P.Burov,
• Ambassador Plenipotentiary under special assignments, Chairman of the Arctic Council, V.I. Churkin,
• Director of the Department of Federal and Target Programs for the Development of Northern Territories and Urgent Response of the Ministry of Regional Development of RF, V.A. Dedyukhin,
• Assistant to the Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal Region, А.S. Drozdov,
• Head of the State Duma of the Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous Okrug, V.N. Malyutin,
• Member of the Council of the Federation of the RF, Representative of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug, Chairman of the Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, V.P. Orlov,
• Chairman of the Duma of the Khany-Mansiyskiy Autonomous Okrug, V.S. Sondykov,
• Deputy Chairman of the Committee on the Problems of the North and Far East of RF.

Also present at the 5^th Congress were the representatives of the federal and regional bodies of the Russian Federation , representatives of embassies of the Arctic countries, NGOs and research organizations, and foreign and Russian guests engaged in the problems of the development of indigenous peoples.

The participants of the 5^th Congress discussed the results of the International Decade of World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004), which was declared by the United Nations Organization in 1993 for the solution of legal, economic, social and environmental problems faced by indigenous peoples. The representatives of the state agencies told the guests and delegates of the Congress what has been done during the recent years for indigenous peoples in our country.

In their turn, the leaders of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) as well as representatives of indigenous peoples from the northern regions expressed their own viewpoint of the situation. In particular, the delegates criticized the consequences of some recent reforms that have negatively impacted the socio-economic situation of Russia ’s indigenous peoples. One of the outcomes of the 5^th Congress was the determination to find further pathways for the development of indigenous peoples in modern Russia . The set of priority tasks aimed at addressing the legal, economic, social and environmental problems which confront the indigenous peoples of Russia are recorded in the Congress Resolution.

At the final stage of the Congress, the election of the leadership of RAIPON was held. Three candidates for president of the Association were nominated: V.M. Kurikov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Khanty-Mansiyskiy Autonomous Okrug; G.M. Volkova, President of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the Khabarovsk Territory; and S.N. Kharyuchi, Chairman of the State Duma of the Yamalo-Nenetskiy Autonomous Okrug. S.N. Kharyuchi was elected President for a third term.