The Company has held a second round of consultations on the Tukhard relocation and development programme. The consultations with Tukhard residents were conducted as part of the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process first launched in the Russian Arctic in October 2021.

**The reindeer herders took an active part in the event**

During the second round, the residents assembled to discuss their agreement to participate in the FPIC procedure and the establishment of a body to make decisions on behalf of Tukhard residents (the Council of Representatives). The event brought together 78 Tukhard residents and tundra reindeer herders.

Nornickel is conducting this procedure in line with the standard of responsibility for Russia’s Arctic zone residents based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Founded back in the 1970s for construction workers of the Norilskgazprom project next to a Nenets settlement, Tukhard is located within the sanitary protection zone of the manufacturing facilities where permanent settlement is prohibited by law. The Company has approached locals with a number of proposals on Tukhard development and alternative settlement options.

**78 reindeer herders and residents of Tukhard came to the gathering**

The meetings with residents were attended in person by independent international experts invited by the Union of Indigenous Peoples SOYUZ (KMNSOYUZ), the organiser of the process. They included Aleksei Tsykarev, a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Navin K. Rai, the World Bank’s advisor on indigenous peoples and the author of the World Bank’s current indigenous peoples policies, and Mikhail Todyshev and Antonina Gorbunova, indigenous rights protection lawyers. Professor James Anaya, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, and other experts consulted on the process.

The event was also attended by representatives of legislative and executive authorities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Taimyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky Municipal District, as well as human rights institutions and non-governmental associations of indigenous peoples.

Aleksei Tsykarev, Deputy Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, commented: “During the second round, the Council of Representatives was elected, which marks the most important milestone in the FPIC process. We have seen different scenarios play out around the world, with people sometimes being unable to elect a body to make decisions on their behalf. This results in a vacuum, where other parties make all decisions for the local community. Luckily, we managed to avoid that, and it is already a big success.”

During the assembly, seven Tukhard residents were elected to form the Council of Representatives. It includes both people who plan to relocate and those who want to stay. Reindeer herders, who are registered in Tukhard, but do not reside there as they permanently live in tundra, are also on the Council. Due consideration of their interests was one of the key requirements put forward by international experts.

**Dr Naveen Rai welcomed the assembled Tukhard and Tundra residents**

Sergey Sizonenko, Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Vice President for Legal Affairs of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON): “Today, we have held an open dialogue between the Company’s representatives and indigenous peoples of Tukhard, involving municipal and regional deputies, local administration, the commissioner for human rights, and international experts. Tukhard residents had the opportunity to ask any questions. Most importantly, they made a joint decision and elected an executive body to participate in the procedure for Free, Prior and Informed Consent.”

Dr. Navin K. Rai, who visited Taimyr as an independent expert on the development of the policy governing Nornickel’s cooperation with the indigenous peoples, commented: “The indigenous population of Tukhard, including tundra reindeer herders, is currently negotiating relocation details with Nornickel. The FPIC procedure enables the indigenous peoples to say no to the relocation. However, these negotiations can also result in an agreement that will be acceptable to both the Company and Tukhard residents.”

“Nornickel respects the opinion of Tukhard residents. That is why in our bid to obtain the FPIC we take account of the wishes and requests of the locals. It is crucial that during the second round of consultations we were able to hear nomadic reindeer herders. They speak for the tundra and their voice was heard and taken heed of,” said Andrey Grachev, Vice President for Federal and Regional Programmes at Nornickel.

The third FPIC round is expected to take place in Q1 2022.

Nornickel gets go-ahead from Tukhard and tundra residents on free, prior and informed consent