îf Circumpolar Seminar
on
Results of the International Project
“Conservation
Value of Sacred Sites of Indigenous Peoples in the
A
Case Study in the North of
Salekhard 06 April 2007 ãîäà
We, the
participants of Circumpolar Seminar, leaders of the organizations of indigenous
peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, representatives of the State
Authority of the Russian Federation, subjects of the Russian Federation and
local governments of the Russian Federation, scientists and experts, assembled
in Salekhard at Circumpolar Seminar on Results
of the International Project «Conservation Value of Sacred Sites of Indigenous
Peoples in the Arctic: A Case Study in the North of Russia»,
Taking into account high
evaluation made by the Arctic Council concerning positive results of the first phase
of the International Project «Conservation Value of Sacred Sites of Indigenous
Peoples in the Arctic: A Case Study in the North of Russia»;
Recognizing an indissoluble
spiritual link of indigenous peoples with their aboriginal lands and territories
and the dependence of conservation of lifestyle and aboriginal habitats of indigenous
peoples on condition of biological, language and cultural diversity;
Realizing that sacred sites
of indigenous peoples are important subjects of the historic and cultural heritage
that need a special protection of the State;
Realizing that the most effective
way of protection of sacred sites is realizable in the framework of the legislation on rights of
indigenous peoples, and also in cases when sacred sites are included in the
borders of the territories of traditional use of natural resources;
Emphasizing the importance of
ensuring of a full respect to the cultural and mental heritage, spiritual ideology
of indigenous peoples significant for conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity;
Thanking
the participation and information exchange of international experts from
Recognizing an important role
of implementation of the Voluntary
Guidelines for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact
assessments regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are
likely to impact on, sacred sites and on lands and waters traditionally occupied
or used by indigenous and local communities;
Appreciating the Administration
of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region and the State Duma of Yamalo-Nenets Region
for financial support, organization and carrying out Circumpolar Seminar in
Salekhard;
Propose recommendations:
At the local level:
•
To develop by communities/elders guidelines of collection,
conservation and use of information on sacred sites, their location, on rituals
and terms of access to this information;
•
To provide confidentiality of information on sacred sites
and limitations in access and also to provide different levels of access to the
information by using many-tier models of
documentation and registration of knowledge on sacred sites;
•
To develop, publish and distribute maps of sacred sites
under the direct control and with acceptance of owners of sacred sites, elders
and their communities that keep traditional knowledge. Bodies of the State Authority
and local governments should provide active measures in protection and
conservation of sacred sites;
•
To raise awareness and form a respectful attitude of non-indigenous
population, especially officials of the industrial companies, conducting
economic activity on lands of indigenous peoples, to traditions, customs and religious world view of indigenous
peoples.
At
the regional level:
•
To develop and adopt standards of law, focused on creation
of the terms of effective protection of sacred sites of indigenous peoples and conservation
of their traditional way of life. These can be laws on protection and use of historic
and cultural monuments, laws on cult and religious sites, laws on conducting
ethnologic expertise and laws on protection of aboriginal habitat and
traditional way of life of indigenous peoples;
•
To make decisions by regional authority to include determined
and described sacred sites into the State roster of immovable historic and cultural
monuments of the local or regional significance; to declare definite regions with
sacred sites, territories of traditional use of natural resources, as especially
protected natural territories of the regional and national significance; to create
a «data bank on sacred sites of indigenous peoples» with the regard to their location
while making agreements on territory development project;
•
To develop mechanisms of consultations with indigenous
communities while making administrative decisions related to their interests and
attraction of them to conduct assessment of the consequences of any proposed work
on areas that serve as sacred sites, lands and waters of indigenous peoples;
At the national level:
•
To develop and adopt the Federal law «On conservation of aboriginal habitats and traditional use of natural resources of indigenous peoples of the
•
To legislatively set the right of indigenous peoples to
monitor the use of natural resources and conservation of subjects of the historic
and cultural heritage, including sacred sites, in the areas of traditional residence
and traditional economic activity of indigenous peoples;
•
To conduct a complex assessment of cultural,
environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed to
take place on sacred sites, on lands and waters traditionally
occupied or used by indigenous peoples with making amends for causing damage;
•
To distribute the experience of Yamal and
At the international
level:
•
According to the goals of realization of the Article 8(j)
and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biodiversity to develop and adopt the
Ethical Code of Conduct that ensures respect of the cultural and mental heritage
of indigenous peoples, significant for conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity;
•
To recommend to the Intergovernmental Committee of WIPO
on intellectual property, genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore
to disseminate an ongoing regime of protection at the international level of traditional
knowledge of indigenous peoples of sacral and sacred sites;
•
To hasten the adoption of the Declaration on Rights of
Indigenous Peoples by UN General Assembly.