| Affiliation with other organizations: |
The Association RLIPLV cooperates with Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (RAIPON). In addition, are negotiations (consultation) with the Secretariat of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the International Labour Organisation (about promotion of Convention 169 in Latvia). In addition, the ARLIPLV interacts with the Latvian Museum (www.lvmz.lv), where is the exposition of the history of Russian-language indigenous people inhabiting the territory of present-day Latvia. This exhibition includes paper, archives certified copies of the relevant of historical documents, which confirm all the legal rights of stay of the Russian-language indigenous people on the territory of present-day Latvia and their rights on this territory, as well in the Latvian Museum there is many other artifacts of the history of Russian-language indigenous people inhabiting the territory of present-day Latvia. |
| Purpose of the organization: |
The main activity of the Association RLIPLV are: - The protection of the rights and the legal interests of the Russian - language indigenous people inhabiting the territory of present Latvia, including through appropriate legal and economic mechanisms of the United Nations, including according the Convention 169 of the ILO (UN) and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; - Counteract to forced assimilation, integration and racial discrimination of Russian-language indigenous people inhabiting the territory of present Latvia (RLIPLV) including with help struggle for giving the Russian language (in Latvia) the official status of the language of the RLIPLV, instead of the current status of a foreign language; - Protection of the rights of the RLIPLV education and pre-school education in the language of the indigenous people (RLIPLV - in the Russian-language), also counteracting, to the policy of assimilation in child educational institutions; - Preservation of the cultural and historical traditions of ancestors of the RLIPLV, participation in preservation, restoration and protection of historical monuments and religious building, cemeteries and burial grounds; - Protection of the rights of Russian-language indigenous people of Latvia to participate in the management of the historical territory of their residence (management of State of Latvia), subject to the rights and interests of RLIPLV instead of the current detached position. |
| Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the regional, national or international level: |
In Section 1, Article 1, paragraph 1b of the Convention 169 of the ILO (UN) - there is definition, that .... peoples in independent countries who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, or a geographical region to which the country belongs, the establishment of present state boundaries ... In accordance of this definition, the territory of present Latvia inhabiting Russian-language indigenous people more than 300 years - their ancestors (representatives of several national minorities, united by single Russian language, cultural, history, territory) have lived here on the official, legitimate, internationally-established grounds, long time before appeared the State with name the Republic of Latvia (i. e. before 1918). Approximate number of Russian – Language Indigenous People inhabiting territory of present Latvia (RLIPLV) is 140 000 people, or about 8% of the population of Latvia. Rights of RLIPLV on international level, protects Association of Russian – Language Indigenous People inhabiting territory of present Latvia (ARLIPLV), in accordance with the statutes of ARLIPLV. Russian-language indigenous people in Latvia, not involved in the allocation of the state budget. For this reason, the ARLIPLV very often cannot attend on important for RLIPLV international events of UN. Visiting of the sixth annual session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) at the UN (8 - 12 July 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland), was in a very limited staff - the delegation of one man on his own funds, necessary for life. During this event of UN by representative of ARLIPLV had read the statement about the RLIPLV. In Section 1, Article 1, paragraph 2 of the Convention 169 of the ILO (UN) says: 2. Self-identification as indigenous or tribal shall be regarded as a fundamental criterion for determining the groups to which the provisions of this Convention apply. The representative of ARLIPLV had participated in the 13th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) at the UN (12 - 23 May 2014 in New York, USA). During this event of UN by this representative of ARLIPLV had made the statement about the RLIPLV. The delegation of ARLIPLV had participated in seventh session of the EMRIP (7 - 11 July 2014). During this event of UN by representative of the delegation ARLIPLV had read the statement about the RLIPLV. During this event was official, very important meeting with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. During this meeting we told her about problems of RLIPLV in Latvia. Text of our statement about situation of RLIPLV was handed also to representative of the European Union, which was there. The delegation of ARLIPLV had participated in the 14th Session of the UNPFII at the UN (20 April - 1 May 2015). During this event of UN by representative of the delegation ARLIPLV had read the statement about the RLIPLV. The delegation of ARLIPLV had participated in eighth session of the EMRIP (20 - 24 July 2015). During this event of UN by representative of the delegation ARLIPLV had read the statement about the RLIPLV. Also, the texts of our statements about situation of RLIPLV were handed to representatives of the EU, which were on the eighth session of EMRIP and on the fourteenth session of UNPFII in 2015. After reading on the sessions of EMRIP and of UNPFII statements of ARLIPLV were posted on website of Indigenous People's Centre for Documentation Research and Information (www.docip.org). On this website there is database, which dedicated to RLIPLV, where in total now there are five statements of the ARLIPLV. These facts are a fixation on the international level, the fact of existence of RLIPLV (in accordance with the norms of international law). Information about participation of ARLIPLV in UN events, which were described above, been widely publicized in the media of Latvia and abroad of it. |
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