The international conference "The UN Global Compact in Russia: Business and indigenous peoples” was held at Moscow September 12.

The participants of conference discussed the business and indigenous peoples’ cooperation in Russia, the principles of the UN Global Compact, the problems and possible ways of cooperation. The participants were representing by business, indigenous peoples, and the authorities. There were representatives of the Council of Federation Nikolai Anisimov, and Mikhail A. Todyshev, as well as representatives of regional governments from the North regions of Russia.

In his opening speech the Chairman of the UN Global Compact Russian network Galaev Andrew noted that the UN Global Compact is an initiative that allows companies to correspondence its activities to ten universal principles of human rights, labor relations, environmental protection, and fighting corruption. The topic issue of Global Compact in Russia is the principle of interaction with indigenous people and getting their confidence to the business activity. And this requires a joint discussion and joint actions.

Paul Sulyandziga, a member of the Public Chamber of Russian Federation, said that in Russia only four companies comply with the principles of the UN Global Compact with respect to indigenous peoples. They are gas company Novotek from Yamal, Sakhalin Energy, the timber company Terneyles from Russian Far East, and the Canadian Kinross which gold mines in Chukotka.

Four companies made the presentation of their experience of the interaction with indigenous peoples. They were Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Konross Gold, Irkutsk Oil Company, and the Corporation of the South Yakutia Development.

The experts and indigenous representatives discussed about the Russian and international standards, and trends concerning the indigenous peoples. The Raipon first vice-president Rodion Sulyandziga discussed about best practices of interaction with the indigenous peoples, issues and solutions in this field. Galina Idigesheva presented the activity of the Batani Fundation. Alexei Limanzo introduces the Russian indigenous communities Alliance.

Claire Chartes, Secretary of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples presented the UN mechanisms on indigenous rights in connection with business development.

The discussion participants discussed also the opportunity to apply to the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to initiate work to develop the UN Convention on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which can base on text of Declaration on the IP Rights.

The representative of International Finance Corporation Roman Novozhilov reported that 1 January 2012 will be published a new version of the IFC requirements for the companies operating on indigenous territories. This information will be available at the IFC site - www.ifc.org. The president of Cross-Cultural Consulting Services Gregory Gulden also made an interesting and informative presentation. Also much attention has been paid to the issue of normative legal act that can regulate the relations between indigenous peoples and corporations.

The Conference was organized by the Russian UN Global Compact Network, the Public Chamber of Russian Federation, RAIPON in cooperate with Sakhalin Energy Investment the Batani foundation.

Information Center Lach (Kamchatka)