Communiqué

of the participants in the conference Oil and Indigenous Peoples,

Helsinki, 5.-7.02.1999

Bearing in mind that:

• The consumption of fossil fuels is one of the major causes of global warming;

• The combustion of fossil fuels is the primary source of air pollution;

• The exploration, drilling, transportation and storage of oil and gas pose serious threats to the respective local environments;

• The exploration and exploitation of these resources are a grave threat to the health and safety as well as to the culture and social well-being of indigenous peoples and other nationalities living in the area;

• An increasing amount of non-renewable fuels originates from areas which are ecologically vulnerable and/or inhabited by indigenous peoples;

• The use of hydroelectric and nuclear power often have these same negative effects on the environment and on the nationalities and indigenous peoples as fossil fuels.

We, the undersigned condemn in the strongest terms possible the activities of the oil companies, such as Shell, Lukoil and Texaco, that violate the Human Rights of the indigenous peoples and endanger the environment;

We, the undersigned call upon:

1. The governments of the world and the oil companies

To give up bringing into use any new oil and gas deposits so that the humankind would be given a chance to rethink the perspectives of the production and consumption of energy;

2. The Finnish government and other governments to

1. work actively towards reducing the consumption of non-renewable fuels,
2. take the detrimental consequences of oil and gas exploration and production on the local population and the local environment into account in its policies, especially when developing the Northern Dimension of the European Union,
3. increase their support for endangered peoples such as the U'wa (Colombia), indigenous peoples of Ecuador area) and Nicaragua, the Ogoni and Ijaw (Nigeria), Khanty, Mansi and Nenets (Russia),(Amazonian
4. exert pressure on oil and gas companies, such as the partially Finnish state-owned energy consortium Fortum, to reduce the negative effects of their actions, actively
5. use their political influence in international organisations such as the European Union, EBRD, World Bank and the United Nations to further the goal of protecting the environment and endangered cultures;

3. The Finnish and other oil and gas companies to

1. refrain from exploring for oil and gas from ecologically sensitive regions and/or areas where culture and life of indigenous peoples would be threatened by such activities,
2. refrain from supporting financially oil and gas projects which threaten the local cultures and environment,
3. strive seriously to reduce the use of non-renewable fuels,
4. critically evaluate their current projects with regard to their impact on the environment and local population,
5. make all information on their projects readily available in the local languages of the people affected,
6. press for an industry-wide Code of Conduct which would take the needs of the environment and of the local peoples into account;

4. The Finnish public and public of other countries to

1. reduce the consumption of non-renewable fuels,
2. use their power as active citizens and consumers to reduce the exploitation for oil and gas production of areas that are environmentally sensitive areas and/or inhabited by endangered cultures;
3. distance themselves from patronising the products of oil and gas companies known to have violated human and environmental rights.

Lidia Okotetto, Yamal Nenets Autonomous District in Western Siberia, Russia

Grigorii Anagurichi, Yamal Nenets Autonomous District in Western Siberia, Russia

Yuri Aivaseda (Vella), Khanty and Mansi Autonomous District in Western Siberia, Russia

Yelena Aivaseda, Khanty and Mansi autonomous District in Western Siberia, Russia

Agrafena Sopochina, Khanty and Mansi autonomous District in Western Siberia, Russia

Roberto Afanador Cobario, Colombia

Arturo Yumbay Iligama, Ecuador

Charity Nenebari Ebeh, Nigeria