Russia’s Arctic territories cover an area of roughly 4.8 million km² (28% of the country’s territory). The region is home to 11% of the nation’s income and more than 20% of its exports. In addition, the Russian Arctic is the most urbanized region of the country, with more than 90% of local residents living in cities. Despite this, no more than 2.6 million people (less than 2% of Russia’s population) live in Arctic cities, and the population numbers have drastically declined in recent decades. Such a trend could eventually lead to a recession in the economy of the macro-region and the country as a whole, and, most importantly, the deterioration of the living conditions of people living there who do not plan to leave. To stop this trend, people not only need to have their basic needs met for heat and water as well as the availability of kindergartens and schools, but also need a comfortable urban environment, a service sector, and a creative cluster of the economy, including all types of arts as well as an IT and tourism sector.
● How can we incorporate the design code of the Arctic territories, which aims to polish the environment in the settlements of these zones, when working with the urban fabric?
● What other comprehensive tools exist for creating a comfortable environment given the harsh climatic conditions? What design solutions can be used for architecture and landscaping?
● How can we preserve the region’s identity despite the similarity of all the challenges and the design solutions that are taken in response? Most importantly, how much will all these transformations cost given the inaccessibility of building resources?

Moderator:
Evgeniya Murinets — Director, Urban Policy Institute

Speakers:
Maxim Dankin — Deputy Director for Regional Development, Information and Analytical Center of the State Commission for Arctic Development
Yulia Zubarik — Bureau founder «MASTER’S PLAN»
Svetlana Kravchuk — Co-founder, Arctic Design School
Ivan Kuryachiy — Managing Partner, New Land («Novaya Zemlya»)
Oleg Rakitov — Director-Coordinator of Social and Cultural Programs, VEB.RF

Front row participant:
Victoria Boginskaya — co-founder of PG Yarus

Russia is a rich country with a well-developed industrial sector, vast natural resources, and an enormous territory. But its greatest value is the creative energy of its inhabitants. The concept of a ‘creative city’ infers that not only a metropolis, but also a remote region, small town, or rural settlement can become creative. Creating an environment for the education of professional specialists at the local level, as well as comfortable and attractive infrastructure for living, will help to put people’s innovative, entrepreneurial, and socio-cultural initiatives into action. The proper use of local residents’ creative energy creates an atmosphere that makes the city an attractive place to live and for tourism.
● What needs to be done to make the North and the Arctic appealing places for living and attract people? What role does the region’s image play in attracting and retaining human resources and how can it be improved?
● What kind of infrastructure is needed to keep young people in the northern regions? Why do cities need communities and how can creative industries help create them?
● What are the best practices for training and attracting professional skilled workers to the regions? What initial results have creative industries colleges shown?
● What benefits are there from involving third sector players, such as funds and responsible companies, in the integrated social development of territories?

Moderator:
Tatyana Abankina — Director, Center for Creative Economy, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Speakers:
Borislav Volodin — Director, National Open Championship of Creative Competencies Art Masters
Sargylana Ignatieva — Rector, Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts
Alexey Komissarov — Director General, Russia – the Country of Opportunities
Nikita Marchenkov — Acting Head of the Kurchatov Complex for Synchrotron-Neutron Research, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute"
Alexey Pinchuk — Deputy Director of the Department of Federal and Regional Programs, Norilsk Nickel
Vitaliy Ten — Founder, Mechtalet
Ekaterina Cherkes-zade — Head, Universal University

Front row participant:
Ioann Klindukhov — Head of the Federal Center, Federal Institute for the Development of Vocational Education and Training

The evolutionary development of human rights in the 21st century has brought ESG principles to the forefront in companies’ policies. This trend is notably supported and promoted by international and regional financial institutions. The principles of ESG – environmental, social, and governance – aim to contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for mankind proclaimed by the UN.

Indigenous peoples, as subjects of law, are among the stakeholders of the sustainability policies of industrial and other companies, but, on the other hand, they serve as a benchmark for international and country-based rating agencies in determining companies’ compliance with ESG standards.

In 2020, Russia’s National Rating Agency developed and approved a methodology for assigning non-credit ratings that assess a company’s exposure to environmental and social business risks, as well as corporate governance risks (ESG ratings). One of the criteria is whether the company has a policy on interaction with local populations who lead a traditional way of life (e.g., the Indigenous peoples of the North) and the implementation of socially significant projects in this regard.

In 2021, the European rating agency RAEX-Europe ranked Lukoil as the ESG leader in the oil and gas sector and considered the factor of support for Indigenous peoples, among other criteria.

Major companies such as Norilsk Nickel, Sakhalin Energy, Irkutsk Oil Company, the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline, and several more place special emphasis in their social policies on supporting Indigenous peoples.

The voluntary adoption of ESG standards by small and medium-sized businesses will help achieve the sustainable development goals of Indigenous peoples in a shorter time.

Key themes of the roundtable:
● ESG standards of international financial institutions
● Standards of the UN Global Compact;
● Russia’s experience of companies engaging in social responsibility based on the example of:
a) National Standard of the Russian Federation GOST R ISO 26000-2012 ‘Guidelines for Social Responsibility’
b) Standard of responsibility for residents of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation
● The role of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in disseminating social responsibility practices in places where Indigenous peoples engage in traditional economic activities
● Social responsibility practices of Russian industrial companies in places where Indigenous peoples engage in traditional economic activities
● Dissemination of knowledge about ESG standards among Indigenous peoples
● Investment appeal of Russian industrial companies that provide social support to Indigenous peoples
● Involvement of public associations of Indigenous peoples in the procedures for assigning ESG ratings to companies

Moderator:
Grigorii Diukarev — Chairman, Association of Indigenous Peoples of Taimyr

Speakers:
Soslan Abisalov — Director of the Department for Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and Infrastructure Projects, Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Ildar Gilmutdinov — First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Issues of Nationalities
Natalya Gonchar — Head of Corporate Relations Department, Sakhalin Energy
Andrey Grachev — Vice President for Federal and Regional Programs, Norilsk Nickel
Natalia Dorpeko — Executive Director, Global Compact National Network Association (online)
Nikolay Korchunov — Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council (online)
Grigory Ledkov — Member of the Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Sergei Timoshkov — Advisor to the Head, Russian Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs
Yuliya Shabala — Deputy Director General for Sustainable Development and Corporate Affairs, Udokan Copper

Front row participants:
Vladimir Vasilev — Executive Director, The Secretariat of the Northern Forum
Valery Vengo — Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory; Vice President, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North
Elena Golomareva — Chairman of the Standing Committee on Indigenous Minorities of the North and Arctic Affairs Issues, State Assembly Il Tumen of the Republic of Sakha Yakutia
Viktoria Darmaeva — President, Trans-Baikal Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North
Nikita Dobroslavskiy — Head of the Laboratory for Low Carbon and Circular Economy, Center for Sustainable Development, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO
Alexander Komissarov — Deputy Director, Department of Subsoil Use and Natural Resources of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District
Anna Otke — President, Regional Public Organization "Association of Indigenous Peoples of Chukotka"; Vice President for Government Relations, Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East
Konstantin Robbek — Commissioner for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Sergey Sizonenko — Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory; Vice President of the Association for Legal Affairs
Tamara Usatova — President, Kolta-Kup (Ob People) Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Tomsk Region
Yuriy Hatanzeisky — Deputy Governor of the Nenets Autonomous Region for the Nenets and Other Indigenous Peoples of the North
Aleksei Tsykarev — Vice Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Northern Crafts ID Project Coordinator at Association ECHO

The traditional life support systems of Indigenous peoples continue to play a vital role in their socioeconomic development. The identity of ethnic groups, their special legal status, and the government’s objectives of creating conditions for their preservation and well-rounded development require a rethinking of legal, economic, and infrastructural approaches and the development of new approaches to adapt the traditional types of economic activities of Indigenous peoples to the modern economic realities.

In the last two decades, legislative activity at the regional and federal levels has largely focused on social protection, which is certainly necessary, but it is just as important to create legal conditions to unleash the potential of the traditional economy of Indigenous peoples by intensifying production processes and the output of craft products with high added value.
Holding an in-depth discussion of these issues with the participation of representatives of Indigenous peoples, the federal and regional authorities, the scientific and expert community, and socially responsible business will help generate proposals to improve federal and regional legislation, regulate economic conditions for the conservation and development of the traditional use of natural resources by Indigenous peoples, and ultimately implement the goals of the Development Strategy for the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and Ensuring National Security for the Period until 2035 and the Strategy for the State National Policy of the Russian Federation for the Period until 2025.

Key themes of the roundtable:
● Improving legislation:
a) on the recognition of communities of Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East as agricultural producers and small and medium-sized businesses
b) on state subsidies for reindeer breeding in the tundra, taiga, and mountains, hunting, fishing, and hunting for sea animals
c) approval of professional standards in the traditional sectors of the economic activities of Indigenous peoples
d) amendments to the Federal Laws “On Hunting and the Conservation of Hunting Resources and Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”, “On Fishing and the Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources”, “On the General Principles of Organizing Communities of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and Far East of the Russian Federation”, the Forest Code, and the Tax Code in terms of improving mechanisms for Indigenous peoples and their communities to exercise their rights in the traditional use of natural resources

● Discussion of the Concept for the Development of Reindeer Breeding
● Prospects for the creation and development of territories for the traditional use of natural resources by Indigenous peoples
● Technologies to improve the quality of products from the traditional use of natural resources
● Export-oriented products of traditional crafts
● Ensuring the food security of the population of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation with the involvement of local producers
● Regulation of the number of predators in places where Indigenous peoples engage in traditional economic activities
● Staffing of sectors of the economy in places where Indigenous peoples engage in traditional economic activities

Moderator:
Yulia Yukel — Member, Public Expert Council, State Duma Committee on Ethnic Affairs; Honorary Lawyer, Moscow Regional Bar Association; Expert, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North

Speakers:
Artur Gaiulskii — President, Regional Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Ildar Gilmutdinov — First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Issues of Nationalities
Grigory Ledkov — Member of the Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Anna Otke — President, Regional Public Organization "Association of Indigenous Peoples of Chukotka"; Vice President for Government Relations, Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East
Mikhail Pogodaev — Deputy Minister for Arctic Development and Northern Affairs of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Special Representative of the Russian Chairmanship in the Arctic Council on Indigenous Peoples Issues and Regional Cooperation
Sergei Timoshkov — Advisor to the Head, Russian Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs
Alexander Fedotov — Acting Director of the Department of State Policy and Regulation in the Field of Hunting of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation (online)

Front row participants:
Valentin Andreytsev — Chairman, Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Primorsky Territory
Elena Golomareva — Chairman of the Standing Committee on Indigenous Minorities of the North and Arctic Affairs Issues, State Assembly Il Tumen of the Republic of Sakha Yakutia
Roza Dolgan — Commissioner for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Kamchatka Territory
Alexey Limanzo — Authorized Representative of the Indigenous Peoples of the North in the Sakhalin Region Duma
Andrey Metelitsa — President, Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Kamchatka Territory
Anton Narchuganov — Director, Agency for the Development of the Northern Territories and the Support of Indigenous Minorities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Semyon Palchin — Commissioner for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the North in the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Konstantin Robbek — Commissioner for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Andrey Todyshev — President, Ene-Bayat Kemerovo Association of the Teleut Peoples
Svetlana Chebodayeva — Chairwoman, Shoria Regional Society of Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Republic of Khakassia
Nikita Shulbayev — President, Kemerovo Association of the Shor People