Regional Governor’s Decree No. 31-pg validating the Concept of Sustainable Development of Small Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Nenets Autonomous Area for 2016-2025.

Concept of Sustainable Development of Small Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Nenets Autonomous Area for 2016-2025 is a regional policy document is aimed at uniting the efforts of state authorities, bodies of local self-government and public associations of indigenous small peoples of the North of the Nenets Autonomous Area to solve tasks of economic, social and cultural development of small indigenous peoples of the North of the Nenets Autonomous Area. The Concept is an integral system of measures of legal, economic, social, organizational nature, aimed at creation of conditions for the sustainable development of the small indigenous peoples of the North and serves as the basis for the development and targeted regional and municipal programs.
Ethno-forming, ethno-preserving types of traditional economic activities for small indigenous peoples are: reindeer herding, fishing, hunting, gathering of natural resources, traditional and art crafts. The traditional way of managing of economic activities of small indigenous peoples is complicated by inability to adapt to modern economic conditions. Low competitiveness of traditional economic activities due to low production volumes, high transport costs, lack of modern enterprises and technologies for complex processing of raw materials and biological resources. Unstable state of traditional economic activities leads to exacerbation of social problems. In order to improve the quality and standards of life of the population, creating favorable conditions for a long, safe, healthy and prosperous lives of people while ensuring economic growth and social stability in society, in relation to small indigenous peoples are implemented both federal and regional legislation. The sustainable development of small indigenous peoples is based on the following principles: (a) observance of guarantees of the rights of small indigenous peoples in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, generally recognized principles and norms of international law and international treaties of the Russian Federation; (b) a comprehensive solution of the problems of socio-economic and ethno-cultural development of small indigenous peoples on the basis of a unified policy of state authorities and local governments; (c) ensuring the effective participation of the small indigenous peoples themselves in achieving their sustainable development; (d) recognition of the importance of land, other natural resources and the well-being of the environment as the basis of the traditional way of life and traditional economic activities of small indigenous peoples; (e) rational use of land and other natural resources in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities; (f) recognition of the right of small indigenous peoples to priority access to fishing grounds, hunting grounds, biological resources in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity; and (g) a systematic approach in the provision of measures of state support to small indigenous peoples, taking into account the categories and types of activities carried out by them: representatives of small indigenous peoples leading a traditional way of life and being subjects of the law of traditional nature management; representatives of small indigenous peoples living in rural areas for which types of traditional economic activity are a non-primary way of life support; representatives of small indigenous peoples living in populated settlements that are not classified as places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity of small indigenous peoples; the need for the participation of representatives of small indigenous peoples and their associations in decision-making on issues affecting the rights and interests of small indigenous peoples in the industrial development of territories in places of their traditional residence and traditional economic activities; the need to assess cultural, environmental and social consequences of the proposed projects and work in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities; compensation for damage caused to the original habitat, traditional way of life and health of small indigenous peoples.
The scope of this Concept is to create conditions for formation of sustainable development of small indigenous peoples, based on strengthening their socio-economic potential while maintaining original habitat, traditional way of life and cultural values.
The Concept envisages the solution of the following tasks: (a) preservation of the original habitat, traditional way of life of small indigenous peoples and the development of economic infrastructure in their places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity while maintaining the ecological balance; (b) establishment of a legal regime for the protection of territories of traditional nature management with ensuring access of small indigenous peoples to management of these territories; (c) providing priority access for small indigenous peoples to land and fishing grounds, hunting grounds, biological resources in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation; (d) promoting the adaptation of small indigenous peoples to environmental, economic and social impacts of climate change and other technogenic factors; (e) promoting the implementation of public environmental and ethnological expertise in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity, increasing the level of environmental knowledge of small indigenous peoples in order to comply with scientific requirements for rational nature management; (f) improving the monitoring of the state of the original habitat and ecological situation in places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity; (g) development of ecological and ethnotourism with the participation of small indigenous peoples in their places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity; and (h) improving the quality of life of small indigenous peoples, improving life support systems and social conditions in their places of traditional residence and traditional economic activity.