Rights of indigenous ethnic minorities were discussed in the Federation Council

It is suggested giving privileges to indigenous peoples for receiving access to land and water resources. Such suggestion was made by the results of the parliamentary hearings on problems and prospects of perfection of legislation about territories of traditional nature management of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of Russia, which took place in the Federation Council.

In the opinion of the deputy chairperson of the upper house of the parliament Vyacheslav Shtyrov, many problems were accumulated in the sphere of rights of indigenous peoples. By his words, it needs to activate work of federal bodies of the state power on perfection of legislation in this sphere. It needs to consider rights of indigenous peoples at taking of new economic laws, including in the sphere of nature management and fishery. The parliamentarian suggests activating work on elaboration of changes into the law "About territories of traditional nature management of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation" and elaborating mechanisms of its fulfillment. As the minister for regional development of the Russian Federation Igor Slyunyayev notes, 257 thousand representatives of indigenous ethnic minorities live on territories of the North, Siberia and the Far East. As he underlines, increase of quality of their life is one of priorities of national policy. By his words, it needs effectively to solve issues of health protection, education, social and housing policy. The minister supported the suggestion on creation of the working group on perfection of legislation about rights of indigenous ethnic minorities. A deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the president of the Russian Association of Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East Grigory Ledkov also touched upon problems of development of such traditional branches as hunting and fishing. He focused attention on a serious problem of decreasing pastures and lands of traditional territories. In his speech the deputy suggests adopting model regulations on management of territories and foreseeing the mechanism of their self-governing. As the chairperson of the Legislative Assembly of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Sergey Kharyuchi underlines, insufficient coordination in lawmaking work can negatively reflect on life activity of indigenous ethnic minorities. They need state support; they need to use natural resources, to be busy with their traditional trades and crafts. Summing up the results of the discussion, Vyacheslav Shtyrov called the participants to provide protection of rights of indigenous peoples, to create conditions, at which they would be able to fulfill their activity.