The Orcas Island Declaration: Indigenous Peoples of Russia Call for Truth and Justice.Input for the preparation of the UN Secretary-General’s report under UNGA Resolution A/RES/79/161, to be presented at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (September 2025).
ADC Memorial and the International Committee of the Indigenous Peoples of Russia (ICIPR) have submitted a joint contribution to the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 report on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The document highlights systemic racism, colonial legacies, and growing repression in the Russian Federation.
A key component of the submission is the Orcas Island Declaration, adopted in April 2025 by exiled Indigenous leaders, human rights defenders, and civil society actors. The Declaration calls for recognition of Russia’s colonial past, restoration of Indigenous rights, and the establishment of truth and reconciliation mechanisms based on international models.
The submission also details rising hate crimes, state-supported xenophobia, and the criminalization of Indigenous organizations within Russia — including the recent designation of the Batani Foundation as an “undesirable organization.”
Read the full document below to learn more about the Declaration and the call for a just, inclusive future for all peoples of Russia.