10 December 16:50
The Norilsk Nickel company has entered into an agreement with the Federal Agency for National Affairs (FADN of Russia) and the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation. The event took place during the XV International Forum “The Arctic: Present and Future” named after A. N. Chilingarov.
The agreement will ensure cooperation for the sustainable development of indigenous peoples, implementation of guarantees of their rights and consideration of interests, support in the socio-economic sphere, harmonization of relations with industrial companies, participation in international and interregional cooperation, and will also determine a mechanism for resolving controversial issues.
“The conclusion of the agreement is a continuation of Norilsk Nickel’s policy of developing constructive and mutually beneficial relations between the company and the peoples traditionally living in the regions where our enterprises operate. In this direction, we closely cooperate with the state, and many years of experience show the effectiveness of such public-private partnerships, as well as the strategic role of Norilsk Nickel in the development of the Russian North,” commented Norilsk Nickel Vice President Andrey Grachev.
The head of the FADN of Russia, Igor Barinov, noted that modern approaches to the sustainable development of indigenous peoples involve a combination of state guarantees, voluntary corporate obligations of business and the involvement of people in making decisions that affect them.
“The tripartite agreement between FADN Russia, Norilsk Nickel and the Russian Association of Indigenous Minorities takes these trends into account. Here we are talking not only about financing, but also about the direct participation of indigenous peoples in determining financed priorities in the field of their sustainable development,” explained Igor Barinov.
Let us remind you that Norilsk Nickel has been implementing a program to support indigenous peoples for many years. It is included in the company's Development Strategy, which is valid until 2030. Since 2018, Norilsk Nickel has had a policy regarding the rights of indigenous peoples, which is regularly updated in accordance with current Russian and international standards. It takes into account international standards, UN guidelines and best practices. The company recognizes the vulnerability of indigenous peoples and their right to independently determine development priorities, respects their dignity, history, identity, traditions and heritage.
The policy also uses the accumulated experience of conducting ethno-expertise and implementing a five-year program to support indigenous peoples of Taimyr, for which Norilsk Nickel allocated more than 2 billion rubles in 2020–2024. During this time, large-scale work has been completed to build housing, social facilities, support education and the economy of traditional environmental management of indigenous peoples. The implementation of the program allowed the company to rethink the experience of interaction with indigenous peoples and brought dialogue with them to a new level.
