Work on development of human capital in the Arctic was started in Moscow and regions

The draft program to support economic activity of indigenous ethnic minorities living in the Arctic will be developed by the working group of the Agency for the Development of Human Capital in the Far East and the Arctic. The first sitting will be held until the end of April in the distance mode because of the epidemiological situation.

The working group is headed by the president of the Russian Association of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, a deputy of the State Duma Grigory Ledkov and the director general of the Agency Sergey Khovrat. It is reported by the information center of the Russian Association of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East.

The working group consists of 49 experienced experts, including heads of regional organizations of indigenous ethnic minorities. Yamal is represented by presidents of the Union of communities of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the association “Yamal is for descendants”. Representatives of the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Ministry for Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, the Federal Agency for Nationality Affairs and executive authorities of all regions that are part of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation will also work on the topic. The broad composition of the working group is determined with specifics of the Arctic zone, where each region has its own characteristics. Within the work of the group the experts should develop the unified position on issues related to support and development of economic activity of indigenous ethnic minorities and prepare appropriate solutions.

“At the end of April the Agency will receive the results of the analysis of Russian and foreign legislations in terms of legal regulation and promotion of economic activity of indigenous peoples. The best examples of such support measures will be identified, and we will adopt and implement them in the draft program. To make the suggestions acceptable to everyone, we will hold discussions at sittings of the working group”, commented Sergey Khovrat, the director general of the Agency for the Development of Human Capital in the Far East and the Arctic.  

At the moment, indigenous ethnic minorities living in the Arctic still have a lot of unsolved problems, their range is extremely wide — from difficulties in sale of products to shortage of territories for reindeer husbandry. Traditional activities may also differ depending on a place of residence, and those aspects will be taken into consideration in development of the draft program on support.

“Today traditional types of economic activity have not lost their relevance, and indigenous population continues doing, what their ancestors did, passing these skills from generation to generation. Unfortunately, in the modern world natural types of economic activity in their traditional form can not be classified as highly profitable types of business for many reasons”, Grigory Ledkov said. — “State financial support is necessary for development and modernization of traditional economic activity of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North. It needs to develop a network of trading stations, to expand transport and logistics services, to create a market for sale of products and to create workshops for primary and deep processing of reindeer-herding products and other traditional crafts on places of traditional residence. Local manufacture safety means confidence that our people will have jobs, speak their native language and live with dignity in their familiar environment”, the president of the Association commented on creation of the program.