YAKUTSK, May 6. /TASS/. Yakutia's authorities will begin implementing from the current year methodology guidelines on subsurface users' social responsibility in interaction with the North's low-numbered indigenous peoples, the region's Deputy Minister for the Development of the Arctic and the Affairs of the Peoples of the North Mikhail Pogodaev told TASS.

"Starting from 2026, our ministry will consistently implement methodology guidelines as a key social responsibility standard in the interaction of industrial companies with North's low-numbered indigenous peoples in Yakutia. This approach will become the basis for assessing the effectiveness of subsurface users' social policy, it will be a mandatory requirement for implementation of new projects in the northern territories. Our goal is to have the economic development of the Arctic go in line with protection of traditional lifestyles, reindeer husbandry and fishing, and with sustainable development of tribal communities," the deputy minister said.

The methodology guidelines have been approved, which is an important step in structuring transparent and mutually beneficial relations between industrial companies and the North's low-numbered indigenous peoples, he added.

"The ministry fully supports the guidelines' implementation for all subsurface users working in the Arctic Zone and in the region's territories of traditional nature management. Already now, we can see interest from responsible subsurface users who are ready to switch to new standards of consultations, measurable social investments and long-term commitments to the North's low-numbered indigenous peoples ," he said.

Yakutia is Russia's only region that has a regional law on ethnological expertise. Companies use the expertise to structure plans of interacting with indigenous peoples. Such a plan includes minimizing the facility's possible impact at the pre-design stage, compensation for damage, and sustainable development measures.

The region has 64 territories of traditional nature use, where 58 are on the cadastral list. These territories take the area of more than 165.4 million hectares, which is 53.7% of the region's total area.

About the document

The methodology guide on subsurface users' social responsibility in cooperation with the North's low-numbered indigenous peoples was approved on April 30, on the Day of Russia's Low-Numbered Indigenous Peoples, at a meeting of the region's representatives of the North's low-numbered indigenous peoples at the local State Assembly.

The document had been developed by the Russian Federation's Project Office for the Sustainable Development of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, Yakutia's Ministry for Development of the Arctic and the Affairs of the Peoples of the North, and the Standing Committee of the region's State Assembly (Il Tumen) for the Development of the Arctic and the Affairs of the Indigenous Peoples of the North.