MOSCOW, March 24. /ITAR-TASS/. More than 50 percent of Russian citizens are committed to involvement with civic initiatives and charities, Russia’s parliamentary upper house Speaker Valentina Matviyenko told a meeting of the co-ordination council for civil society institutions.

More than 220,000 non-commercial organisations operated across the country, she said.

“Voluntary initiatives, protection of natural features and historical landmarks alongside the search for missing persons are being increasingly developed at the moment,” she said, adding that “civil society activists are constantly drawing attention of the authorities and society to the problems of corruption and human rights violation.”

Matviyenko noted the contribution of volunteers to tackling damage from the September flooding in Russia’s Far East and to organising international sports events including the 2013 Summer Universiade in the central Russian city of Kazan and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

“It is highly important that civil society institutions participate in implementing social policy,” she added.