OREANDA-NEWS. September 20, 2012. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. presented a translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into the Uilta Language to the public, reported the press-centre of Sakhalin Energy.

The translation was done by Elena Bibikova and Irina Fedyayeva, who were among the authors of the Uilta ABC Primer, the first book ever published in that language, with financial support from Sakhalin Energy.

“Respect and support for human rights is an integral part of responsible business conduct”, noted Andrei Galaev, Chief Executive Officer of Sakhalin Energy. “Protecting the rights of the most vulnerable social groups, such as indigenous peoples, requires a special focus. Preserving their cultural and linguistic identity is among the top priorities within the framework of protecting the global ethnic and cultural diversity. We hope that the publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will help the Uilta people, the smallest ethnic minority on Sakhalin, to preserve their language and culture.”

Mr. Ryszard Komenda, Senior Human Rights Adviser to the UN Country Team in the Russian Federation (representing Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), also highlighted the significant role the business community plays in the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and thanked Sakhalin Energy for its special efforts in this area. Mr. Komenda emphasized the need to promote wider awareness among indigenous peoples with regard to their traditional views of land, its natural resources and the environment, and to assist in the preservation of their languages, cultures and traditional lifestyles. Translating UN fundamental documents into the languages of indigenous minorities will undoubtedly help in fulfilling this objective.

The presentation was attended by representatives of regional government authorities, Sakhalin indigenous peoples, international organizations and nonprofits.