Written Statement - Item 15 of the provisional agenda

Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic threatened by climate change

The Society for Threatened Peoples wishes to draw attention to the plight of indigenous peoples who live in parts of the circumpolar region of the Arctic and suffer from the activities of international companies of the extractive industries. The Society for Threatened Peoples is concerned about the fact that international corporations are pushing forward into the Arctic. These corporations assume that formerly inaccessible areas will soon become ice-free and therefore navigable as a result of the global warming. The exploitation of natural resources in the Arctic will not only have serious consequences for the global climate and the environment, but also for resident indigenous peoples. An eight-nation report, that was released in November 2005, revealed that the Arctic is warming up twice as fast as the rest of the planet. The indigenous groups who inhabit the Arctic have already witnessed dramatic and frightening changes in their natural surroundings.

Desperate situation of indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation

In its resolution 2005/69, the Commission on Human Rights recommended to the High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene annually in cooperation with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises. The first meeting was held on the 10th and 11th November 2005. The participants agreed that one of the main risks that a company could encounter was a situation "where local communities have particular cultural and other sensitivities. Many communities have cultural and religious traditions intrinsically linked to their natural surroundings and the environment, which can be difficult to reconcile with extractive activities. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable in this regard.” This statement describes the present living conditions of the indigenous peoples of Sakhalin Island in the far east of the Russian Federation quite well. The world’s greatest investment in the oil and gas sector is threatening to destroy the environment of the resident indigenous communities and kill the last Western Pacific grey whales.

The Sakhalin II Phase 2 offshore oil and gas project is a proposed US $ 20 billion project on Russia’s Pacific Coast. The project is led by Royal Dutch/Shell, which is the major shareholder (55%) and operator of the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company. It proposes the construction of a new oil and gas platform, offshore oil and gas pipelines, and onshore pipelines that carry oil and gas across the 800 km long island. Moreover, the construction of a liquid natural gas production plant and an oil terminal at the south end of the island is planned.

Since 1999, the oil drillings on Sakhalin have already had disconcerting effects: fishermen discovered 900 tons of dead herring floating in the sea. Shell refused to assume responsibility for the mass dying of the fish, but scientists found oil and heavy metals in the bodies of most of the dead fish. People living in the vicinity, like the indigenous minority of the Nivki, observed changes in the environment. The number of seals decreased suddenly, and many animals were found dead. Birds, that normally lived off plankton, suddenly began to eat land insects. Fish were poisoned and smelt of oil. Yet they are still being eaten by poor local people who cannot afford to buy any other food.

The protest of the indigenous people is directed against the Sakhalin II project, which includes the constructions of pipelines across the island. The pipes, that will cross 1.103 rivers and streams, will destroy the spawning grounds of the salmon, cut off the game passes and the last remaining pastures for reindeer. The overland pipelines will run through zones prone to earthquakes.

Investments of transnational corporations are threatening the survival of indigenous peoples

These projects are carried out by transnational companies like Shell, Exxon, British Petroleum and others. The indigenous people of Sakhalin, the 3150 Nivki, Nanai, Oroks, Orochs and Ulchs are particularly affected by the pumping of oil and gas. Construction work has already destroyed forests and pastures for reindeer. The indigenous people live presently almost exclusively from the sale of traditional crafts. The reindeer breeders were not consulted when the drawing of the pipeline route was underway. Both Shell and Exxon-Mobil use obsolete technology in the construction of their pipelines and drilling rigs. A leaking pipeline would have catastrophic consequences for the grey whale population, fishery and the life of the Nivki.

Even though Royal Dutch Shell is one of the companies claiming to pay attention to the environment and those indigenous peoples who are affected by their projects, it did not even abide by its own rules laid down in the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment. The Sakhalin II project represents a key test for the latest generation of investment principles and company guidelines. The project has already demonstrated that the existing initiatives and standards relevant to the extractive industry did little to clarify the responsibility of business. Few have monitoring mechanisms and guidelines that are legally binding. Therefore, the Society for Threatened Peoples asks the UN Commission on Human Rights to continue its work on legally binding guidelines and mechanisms aimed at guaranteeing the accountability of the responsible companies. In respect of the Sakhalin II project, the Society for Threatened Peoples appeals to the UN Human Rights Commission to bring this project to the attention of the Special Representative of the General Secretary on Human Rights and international corporations. He should get involved in the present discussion of the project on behalf of the indigenous communities on the island.

Indigenous peoples in Alaska are opposing oil drilling in wildlife refuge

In Alaska, the way of life of the Gwich’in, the people of the Caribou, is threatened by the government’s plan to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas exploration. The ANWR consists of the last 5 percent of pristine wilderness of the otherwise industrialised Alaskan Arctic coast. It is also the last undisturbed birthing ground for the resident wildlife. As a nursery, the ANWR is essential to the survival of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The Artic reindeer are a not only the main source of nutritious food for the Gwich’in. They also play an important cultural role in the lives of the tribe’s members, whose religion and spirituality are inextricably intertwined with the caribou. The industrialisation of the coastal plain of the ANWR would change the migration routes of the animals and thus threaten the ability of the Gwich’in to keep their subsistence culture (food, clothing, culture, health, religion) alive, as their physical well-being and cultural heritage depend on the close interaction with the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The attempts of the US-government to abolish the status of ANWR as a protected refuge and legalize the oil and gas exploration have become more unscrupulous and antidemocratic over the past. In December 2005, Congressmen from both parties accused the proponents of oil drilling in the ANWR of misusing their power and twisting the parliamentary rules by tying the vote for oil and gas exploration to military spending measures. Therefore, not only the survival of the Gwich’in people and the protection of ANWR’s pristine arctic wilderness are at stake, but also the reputation of the US-Congress as a vessel of fairness and democracy. Moreover, drilling in the Arctic Refuge will not lead to greater independence from foreign oil supplies or lower prices at the pump. The United States Geological Survey estimates that the Refuge has less than a single year's supply of oil that would not reach the market for at least 10 years. The harm done to the planet’s greatest wildlife refuge and the resident wildlife would be irreparable. Furthermore, the Gwich’in would loose their ancient and traditional way of life.

Society for Threatened Peoples calls on the Commission to:

• continue its work on legally binding guidelines and mechanisms aimed at guaranteeing the accountability of the companies concerned,

• bring this project to the attention of the Special Representative of the General Secretary on Human Rights and international corporations. He should get involved in the current discussion of the project on behalf of the indigenous communities on the island,

• raise its voice unmistakably in favour of the protection of the ANWR and appeal to the US-Government to respect the human rights of the Gwich’in people in order to enable them to keep their subsistence culture,

• guarantee that oil companies keep out of the ANWR.