Norilsk Nickel initiated FPIC

For the first time in Russian practice, Norilsk Nickel has initiated the FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) procedure in full compliance with international standards.
The place for the procedure will be the village of Tukhard (Taimyr) in connection with the resettlement of the inhabitants of the village from the sanitary protection zone.  In accordance with the current legislation, permanent residence within the boundaries of these zones is not allowed, including acquiring of permanent registration.
Since the village of Tukhard was founded in the 1970s of the last century as a place of temporary residence for shift workers, its development did not provide for the creation of an infrastructure that would meet modern ideas about comfortable permanent residence and the requirements for a settlement.
At present, the situation requires a solution to the problem in connection with the current legislation, which establishes sanitary protection zones and the associated restrictions.  The resettlement is also associated with the proximity of facilities that are for the company a legacy of the past period of industrial development of the Arctic.  Norilsk Nickel, realizing its responsibility, offers several options for solving this problem on the basis of informed prior consent, including moving to new homes for citizens who prefer this option.  At the same time, the indigenous population will not be cut off from their usual environment, places of crafts and way of life, since New Tukhard is located only 1.5 kilometers away.  Alternative options are also offered, including the purchase of housing in other villages of Taimyr and the city of Dudinka.
In case of obtaining the consent of residents to move, the company, for its part, will propose for discussion the architectural solutions of new residential buildings, and the residents will determine the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable stay, as well as other options for moving.
The FPIC procedure will be held in full respect for the culture and own decision-making systems of the indigenous people living in Tukhard - the Nenets.  The company strives not only to provide residents with safer and more comfortable living conditions but also to contribute to the preservation of the traditional way of life and ethnic identity of the indigenous population.  A prerequisite for this is open collaboration and direct consultation with indigenous communities.
The Interregional Public Organization “KMNSOYUZ” has formed an advisory council with the participation of international and Russian experts for the FPIC procedure.  The KMNSOYUZ provides the experts with organizational and methodological assistance, provides the technical and substantive aspects of the FPIC procedure, and direct consultations with the local population.
Despite the fact that the FPIC procedure is not directly included in the national legislation of the Russian Federation, Norilsk Nickel voluntarily recognizes international standards and, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, expresses its readiness to carry out FPIC.
According to Alexei Tsykarev, member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, “the principle of free, prior and informed consent is the cornerstone of the observance of the rights of indigenous peoples to independently determine the vector of their development, as well as political, social, economic and cultural priorities.  The main task of FPIC in Tukhard is to ensure the effectiveness of the participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making on relocation, construction or purchase of new housing, to make sure that the population is fully informed about the infrastructure of the new village, about relocation options.  For the first FPIC experience in the Russian Arctic to be successful, the company's task is to provide all the basic elements of FPIC: freedom of decision-making, lead time, awareness.  FPIC is not a one-time solution, but a long-term process that contributes to building trust between the parties. "
“It is very important that industrial companies understand FPIC not as a risk to a business, but as a contribution to its sustainability.  FPIC is a difficult process, an experience that Indigenous Peoples and the company go through together in order to reach an agreement that both parties consider equally fair.  However, the FPIC process does not end with the signing of an agreement.  On the contrary, the relationship is just beginning to avoid possible mistakes in the implementation of the agreements reached, ”notes Navin K. Rai, Corporate Advisor to the World Bank on Indigenous Issues 1999-2012, author of the current World Bank policies.  on the rights of indigenous peoples.
The first meetings of the involved Russian experts with the residents of the village of Tukhard are held from 11 to 14 October 2021 and include informing about the FPIC procedure and the rights of indigenous peoples, sociological research, and identification of especially vulnerable groups of the population.

Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished