COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULURAL RIGHTS CONSIDERS FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION

18 November 2003

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has considered the fourth periodic report of the Russian Federation on that country’s effort to give effect to the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Introducing the report, Alexander Pochinok, Minister of Labour and Social Development of the Russian Federation, said, among other things, that for the last ten years, his country had established the legislative basis which had allowed the gradual implementation of internationally recognized economic, social and cultural rights of citizens.
Mr. Pochinok said that federal laws had been adopted and had entered into force on employment, minimal wages, labour security, trade unions, collective labour disputes, social security, health care, social care for the elderly and disabled persons, education, culture, refugees and internally displaced persons, and basic guarantees of the rights of the child.
Over the course of their consideration of the report, Committee Experts raised a number of questions relating to discrimination against women at work; the existence of the internal passport system; the lack of adequate housing; the high level of poverty; the taxation system; the high level of industrial injuries; the situation of children in institutions; the spread of tuberculosis in prisons; and the economic and social situation in Chechnya, among other things.
The Committee will release its concluding observations and recommendations on the report of the Russian Federation at the end of its three-week session on 28 November.
The Russian Federation was also represented by Leonid Skotnikov, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Geneva; Yuri Lublin, First Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development; Vladimir Parshikov, Director, Department of International Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ludmila Vasilyeva, Head, Department of Social and Civil Legislation, Ministry of Justice; Alexander Bavykin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva; Svyatoslav Lukyanenko, Head, Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Labour and Social Development; Olga Samarina, Head, Division of Socio-Demographic Policy and Development of Social Security, Ministry of Labour and Social Development.
Also, Irina Ilyina, Head, Legal Division, Ministry of Culture; Tatyana Gorbacheva, Head, Labour Statistic Division, State Statistics Committee; Alexander Ananyev, Deputy Head, Department of Social Policy, Ministry of Economic Development; Ekaterina Lycheva, Deputy Head, Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Labour and Social Development; Tatyanya Maximova, Assistant to the Prime Minister; Yuri Boychenko, Senior Counsellor, Sergey Chumarev, First Secretary, Alexey Akzhigitov, Second Secretary, Yulia Gusynina, Second Secretary, Zhanna Kharkhan, Second Secretary, from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation in Geneva; Sergey Kondratyev, Attaché, and Natalia Arkhipova, Expert, from the Department of International Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As one of the 148 States parties to the International Covenant, the Russian Federation is expected to submit periodic reports to the Committee on how it is implementing the provisions of the treaty. A 20-member delegation was on hand throughout three meetings to present the report and to provide answers to questions raised by Committee Experts.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 19 November, it is scheduled to take up the second periodic report of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (E/1990/6/Add. 35).
Report of the Russian Federation
The fourth periodic report of the Russian Federation (E/C.12/4/Add.10) gives an account of the State party’s efforts in implementing the provisions of the International Covenant through the adoption of legislative, judicial and administrative measures. It says that the Constitution protects the rights and freedoms of man and citizens and the State is obliged to establish special institutions for that purpose. The gradual reform of the judicial system is being carried out with a view to improving the State’s legal system, strengthening the judicial power, enhancing the courts’ independence, and ensuring that the courts apply legislation correctly.
The report says that verification of the constitutional validity of laws, including those relating to citizens’ complaints concerning their economic, social and cultural rights, is the responsibility of the Constitutional Court. One of the main tasks of the procurators is to supervise observance of the population’s economic, social and cultural rights by federal ministries, public representatives and the executive authorities. The experience that procurators have gained from such oversight to date reveals a number of improvements in that sphere in respect to compliance with the law. However, owing to social and financial constraints, violations of citizens’ rights still occur in the country, as in former times.
The report notes that procurators during 1998 and the first half of 1999 uncovered more than 237,000 violations of human and civil rights and freedoms. Procurators appealed against some 45,000 unlawful legal transitions. A total of 59,000 submissions were made requesting immediate remedy against alleged violations of civil rights and freedoms.
It also notes that according to the Russian State Committee on Statistics, 151,800 workers, of whom 4,400 died, sustained industrial injuries. A number of people whose capacity for work was reduced had to be transferred to other duties. Violations of the laws governing occupational safety and industrial safety practices are found at enterprises under all forms of ownership, but mainly in private enterprises.
Presentation of Report
ALEXANDER POCHINOK, Minister of Labour and Social Development of the Russian Federation, said that with its enhanced dynamics of special and economic transformation since 1990, important changes had taken place in the period since the State presented its last report. This year, Russia had celebrated the tenth anniversary of the new Constitution, which proclaimed that the country was a democratic, federal, social State, governed by the rule of law. The policy of the Russian Federation was directed to the creation of conditions for a decent life and free human development.
For the last ten years, the Russian Federation had, in principle, established the legislative basis which had allowed a gradual implementation of internationally recognized economic, social and cultural rights of citizens, Mr. Pochinok continued. Federal laws had been adopted and had entered into force on employment, minimal wages, labour security, trade unions, collective labour disputes, social security, health care, social care for the elderly and disabled persons, education, culture, refugees and internally displaced persons, and basic guarantees of the rights of the child. International norms had been incorporated in the civil, family, tax and housing codes of the country. In 2002, the most important documents in the social and labour spheres were adopted: the portfolio of federal law on pension reform and the Labour Code of the State.
Mr. Pochinok said that his Government believed that in the environment of unfavourable demographic trends, there was a necessity for a pension system built on the principles of insurance with cumulative elements, which would allow the increase of the quality of the provision of pensions to the population, thus securing the current and long-term financial sustainability of the system.
Especially successful were the years 2000-2002 and the first half of 2003, when the positive dynamics of all the main social indicators were achieved, the Minister said. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased with the annual growth by 10 per cent in 2000, 5 per cent in 2001, 4.3 per cent in 2002 and 7 per cent in the first half of 2003. During the first half this year, the output of products and services by the main branches of economy grew by 7.2 per cent and capital investment increased by 12 per cent. The rate of inflation had been lowered, the degree of the monetarization of the economy had grown, and the situation in the currency market had remained sustainable and predictable. It was precisely those factors that had made the determining impact on the improvement of the situation with the income and employment of the population as well as the lowering of the social tensions.
Mr. Pochinok said the economic growth in the country had had a positive influence on the growth of the employment rate. The number of the employed in the economy had increased from 63.8 million people in 1999 to 66.8 million in August 2003. The fastest growth in the employment sector had been noted in the sphere of services – commerce and food sectors, healthcare, education and culture. The number of unemployed had decreased from 8.7 million in 1999 to 5.7 million in August 2003. As a result of the rise in production, positive changes in the part-time employment sector had taken place. The number of part-time workers had decreased from 2.7 million in 1999 to 1.2 million in 2002.
Mr. Pochinok said existing problems of gender inequality in the labour market were generally linked to the overall substantial changes of the professional structure of the labour market, the hardening of requirements for hiring personnel by entrepreneurs of the private sector of the economy, as well as weak competitiveness of some categories of women. That was the reason why the basis of the gender policy in the field of labour included the promotion for gender adaptability of women to the new conditions and the improvement of their competitiveness on the labour market.
Special attention was paid to preventing neglect of minors and the phenomenon of street children, Mr. Pochinok said, adding that there were 1,220 special institutions for minors who were in need of social rehabilitation functions within the system of social assistance. In 2002, due to measures implemented by the authorities, the number of crimes committed by minors was reduced by 25 per cent. Out of the total number of 682,000 minors who appeared before law enforcement officials, 553,000 were released and handed over to their parents, 45,000 were transferred to the special social assistance establishments, 21,500 were sent to educational institutions and 9,100 were sent to medical centres. A programme for combating the phenomenon of street children was being implemented in 2003.
Mr. Pochinok said State policy in the field of public health, public education and culture was aimed at the successive improvement of standards of living of the population, creation of conditions for the amelioration of quality and accessibility of those services for consumers, as well as for adopting relevant institutions for changing the social and economic environment. The State Duma had adopted 40 federal laws dealing with health. Special attention was being paid to the fight against and prevention of socially dangerous diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
With regard to Chechnya, Mr. Pochinok said that this year, the referendum on the draft Constitution of the Republic and the elections of the President were held. Both events had reflected the high level of political activity of the population. Those events had also reflected the support by the majority of keeping Chechnya within the Russian Federation. Rule of law and relevant bodies and institutions were being restored and they were effectively functioning. However, the situation in the Republic of Chechnya was still difficult. The remnants of terrorists and extremists tried to undermine the process of political settlements, in particular by committing murders and terrorist acts which were often directed against local governmental bodies and the civilian population supporting the course aimed at the normalization of the situation.
Concluding, Mr. Pochinko stressed that over the past years, Russia had made significant efforts in ensuring the fundamental economic, social and cultural rights of its citizens. At the same time, it did not idealize the situation in that sphere and acknowledged its problems. It was looking for ways to better solve them, taking into account its real economic and financial possibilities, plans and perspectives of development of the country.
Discussion
Following the introduction of the report, Committee Experts raised a number of questions. An Expert asked if there were economic and political autonomies, as there were cultural autonomies in the Russian Federation. There were some natural resources where some ethnic groups inhabited. He asked if those ethnic groups had been consulted before the Government had carried out oil exploration in their territories. With regard to the role of the Procurator, the officer had received more than 50,000 notifications; were all those notifications followed up? Was the State party making efforts so that public money was spent appropriately?
Another Expert asked why the Russian Federation had not yet ratified the European Social Charter. What measures were taken to improve the prison conditions in the country? Why was the internal passport system still used? Why were people forced to return to Chechnya?
One Expert wondered why the Russian report did not mention anything about the situation in Chechnya. He had just heard the Minister of Labour mentioning the situation in that region at the end of his statement. According to information received from non-governmental organizations, the people in Chechnya were unable to enjoy many of their rights under the Covenant. He requested the delegation to inform the Committee about the current situation in Chechnya.
Another Expert said that the process of permanent residence registration posed an effective and potential discrimination. By the end of December 2003, the registration requirements for those who had not yet registered would be terminated, leaving many citizens with the possibility of not renewing their passports. Only those whose permanent residence was known could have their passports renewed.
An Expert said that organized crime had become deeply rooted in the society, including wide spread corruption. He also asked about the existence of internal and external passports.
The principle of non-discrimination was not sufficiently elaborated in the report, another Expert said. She asked about the meaning of discrimination in labour, for example, or if a bill would be drafted in that area. Were sexual harassment, marital rape and domestic violence considered as criminal acts?
On the movement of people, one Expert said that it was during the Tsar Empire that passports had been introduced to move from one place to another. Now, with the Russian Federation being a democratic State, why was there a need to restore an internal passport system in the country? One needed a passport to go from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Responding, the Russian delegation said that the Ombudsman for human rights was an institution that acted in many different areas, including those concerning victims of terrorism and violence. The Ombudsman monitored the whole human rights situation in the State. The Ombudsman also identified the situation of human rights violence and reported to the authorities. The Government should respond promptly to the report of the Ombudsman. The Public Prosecutor also reacted to the reports of the Ombudsman by establishing legal action. The Ombudsman had 24 agencies that received more than 34,000 complaints per year.
With regard to the national and cultural autonomies, the delegation said that there were a number of autonomous regions based on ethnicity, or on a political and economic basis. A political autonomy was composed of 7,000 people, for instance. The Russian Federation was made up of 21 republics, 6 territories, 49 regions, 1 autonomous region and 10 autonomous areas, each with its own constitution or charter and its own legislation. Over 140 nationalities and ethnic groups lived in the country. The State Duma also included representatives of ethnic groups.
A large programme was being prepared and implemented to combat corruption, the delegation said. The change in State services would be one of the reforms envisaged to fight corruption. An article had been added to the Criminal Code, criminalizing acts of stealing or corruption by state employees.
Asked if Russia would ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the delegation said it would be a good idea to have such a mechanism, and Russia would be in favour of its adoption. However, Russian might not ratify the Protocol in block but might recognize the competence of the Committee on certain articles of the Covenant.
The Special Representative of the General Secretary on Internally Displaced Persons had visited the Russian Federation and had affirmed that there was no forced displacement taking place in the Chechen region. People were moved from their tents and other temporary camps and compensation was given to them. The people of Chechnya were full citizens of the Russian Federation and all the care was made in facilitating their return to their homes.
The conditions for holding prisoners posed a very difficult situation in the country, the delegation said. Almost all the prison facilities were built in the nineteenth century, and the Government had inherited conditions that still posed a problem in the penitentiary system. It was not only the organs of the Procurator General that visited the prisons to check on the conditions but also the Ombudsman and representatives of NGOs. When the law on prisons was adopted, it was hoped that the situation would improve.
A passport was an identity card and the holder could live wherever he or she liked to, the delegation said. During the last 10 years, the Government had not created any obstacles for people who lived in the territory. However, with the growing number of migrants, something had had to be done. There were for example thousands of Azerbaijanis working in Russia, many of them without any valid permits. The delegation affirmed that people were not prevented from moving from place to another.
With regard to Chechnya, the delegation said 450 schools had been opened on 1 September, including higher institutions at the university level, the delegation said. Education was sacred in Chechnya. Many schools had been demolished during the conflict. With regard to health, a number of hospitals and clinics had been put into operation. It was, however, regrettable that terrorists had destructed hospitals and other health care institutions.
The labour law clearly explained what was meant by discrimination and how to protect citizens, particularly women, the delegation said. However, because of the tricky nature of the definition of discrimination in the labour law, the drafting of a specific law would be more practical. A strategy paper on gender equality would be adopted in the course of next year.
Concerning the homeless, the delegation said that the issue was very difficult to deal with because of the non-homogeneity of the problem. Many persons lost their houses which were distributed by the State due to myriad reasons. Now, there was a phased control mechanism for the situation of the homeless in the country. The State had now put in place a regulation that ensured that such houses were not to be sold or exchanged. New housing facilities had also been provided for the elderly who were homeless. It was true that many homeless people did not enjoy fully their economic, social and cultural rights. The Government was making serious efforts to resolve the problem of the homeless by providing them with housing facilities. In Moscow, where more homeless people were concentrated, the State had made available accommodations to all those who needed to be taken care of by the authorities.
With regard to the abuse of military recruits, the delegation said that the Government was upset by the situation which had resulted in a decrease in the number of recruits. The only way to resolve the problem of violence and abuse in the army was to reform the whole military structure. The armed forces might be shifted from the present system to a professional system, which would be based on contracts. Concerning conscripts, alternative services were being considered to replace the military services. However, the length of time in the civil service might be longer than the period in the military service.
The Russian Federation had spent a large amount of money in the Chechen Republic to reconstruct the area, the delegation said. Industries were established to operate with investments by the Government; houses were being built; and postal services were re-established. The electricity service had been restored and each household was receiving electric power for heating and light. The chief concern of the Government was to safeguard the security of the population. The terrorists were killing innocent people, including medical personnel. The coast services had been controlled in order to guarantee security and to prevent the infiltration of terrorists who perpetuated acts of terror. Because the terrorists chose calm areas to commit their acts, it was the innocent people who were suffering. In the past, the terrorists had destroyed the houses of the people, who were now requesting houses to live in. In response, the Government was continuing to build apartments to fulfil their needs.
One Committee Expert said that the delegation had indicated that the rate of unemployment was 7.9 per cent of the total population. How did the different regions of the Russian Federation divide the burden of unemployment, taking into consideration that some regions had less unemployment? What were the criteria for dismissal of an employee? According to the International Labour Office (ILO), the age for employment had been reduced from 16 to 15 years; what was the actual minimum age to be admitted to work? Did the minimum wage correspond to the level of subsistence? According to the ILO, a large quorum was required to conduct a strike by the workers, and the conditions required to hold a strike were considerable.
Another Expert said that the weakness of the trade unions in the Russian Federation was related to the restrictions imposed on them. There were also discriminatory practices and leaders of trade unions had been persecuted and had even lost their jobs. On many occasions, collective agreements were ignored in favour of employers. The current trade union system was made to favour the employers who amassed inappropriate wealth on the shoulders of the employees. Was there a special benefit for disabled persons living alone? Did disabled persons receive certificates testifying to their disability?
On the working conditions of women, an Expert asked if the State party was planning to put in place legal provisions to prevent discrimination against women in employment.
Another Expert said that in one year, 1.6 million workers had been victims of accidents in 11 branches of the economy, which was about 3 per cent of the whole working force. If this was the case, it was a very worrying situation that the State party should give special attention to. Was there a way to minimize industrial injuries?
Responding, the delegation said that in absolute figures, the number of unemployed persons was about 6 million, which was 7.9 per cent. Those who were not really working might be less given the black market where many workers worked. The rate of unemployment varied from one region to another, with nine agricultural regions being severely affected.
The labour code was well balanced now and people could not be laid off in mass, the delegation said. The ground for dismissal could be the fact that the company was liquidated and could no longer employ workers, or if cut offs were agreed in collective bargaining. Lack of qualification might also lead to dismissal but the employees should be consulted on the issue. The leadership of a company could be changed but not the working force. Failure to provide the contractual work by the employee might lead to dismissal. The Government had saved recently the dismissal of half a million people working in the country’s rail company. A new reform had been introduced in the coal-mining sector to prevent mass dismissal of the miners.
The minimum working age was 18 years and it had been strictly observed for many years, the delegation said. However, that age could be lowered to allow young persons to obtain summer jobs. It was also difficult to prohibit children from participating in the circus, which was considered as a job. Generally, the Russian labour law was tough concerning child labour.
Women were paid a third less than their male counterparts for equal work, the delegation said. However, that had nothing to do with discrimination. The salaries could be determined by the manner in which the employees were recruited. Women normally took jobs that were less remunerative, while men tended to take jobs that paid better.
Strikes could be declared illegal if a court decided so, the delegation said. No trade union was prohibited from staging strikes. There were 30 million trade union members and they could strike any time they wanted. However, there was a need for the unions to be strengthened.
A draft law was in the State Duma that might allow each region to determine its own minimum wage, the delegation said.
Russia’s external debt had been reduced by one-third of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the delegation said.
Sixty per cent of disabled persons were employed in all sectors, the delegation said. When tax concessions were made, the disabled persons were directly involved in order to avoid having criminal organizations take advantage of such concessions. Blind people were able to work in many organizations, including the national flag carrier Aeroflot.
There were 300,000 centres in the Russian Federation to assist those who could not support themselves, the delegation said. Social assistance and support was provided for the poor who appealed for help.
The delegation said that the Government was working to make the minimum wage above the level of subsistence. The State Duma was also wrestling to adopt legislation that might increase minimum wage.
A Committee Expert asked if the Russian Federation was planning to set up a national action plan to combat extreme poverty in the country.
Another Expert said that 50,000 children left their homes every year prematurely due to family violence, alcoholism and abuse. What was the view of the delegation on this? People whose houses were destroyed received compensation in a non-transparent and discriminatory manner; how were such people compensated?
Women suffered from the alcoholism of their husbands and the subsequent domestic violence, one Expert said. Who kept the home in the event of a divorce? Was sexual harassment in the workplace an offence that could be punished? What measures had been taken to incriminate acts of trafficking in persons? The rate of poverty in the country was very high, as substantiated by a number of sources. What benefits did poor people receive?
Another Expert asked about the measures taken concerning the problem of tuberculosis, which was widely affecting prisons. The Constitution had guaranteed free medical treatment, which was not the case in practice; patients paid for their treatment including their food in hospitals. What measures were taken by the State party to rectify this situation?
Another Expert said that between 2 to 3 million people consumed drugs, which was a concern to the Committee. The drug consumption was also related to the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Trafficking in women should be treated as an emergency issue, an Expert said. The Russian Federation should take the initiative at a regional level to tackle the emerging problem of trafficking in women to which the country itself was a victim.
What measures were taken by the State party to make maternity wards accessible to mothers in the rural areas, particularly to indigenous people in remote areas, asked another Expert?
The number of orphans and abandoned children was high in Russia, another Expert said. Particularly in Chechnya, the number of orphans had increased because of the conflict. Children should be put in schools and not in working therapy as reported in the State’s report.
Responding, the delegation said that all disabled children and their parents were entitled to social benefits. The parents had to decide if they wanted to keep the child at home or place the child in an institution. In many institutions, medical treatment was provided for disabled children. A number of specialized institutions had so far received money to use in running their organizations. Any disabled child who opted for vocational training could be allowed to do so. Recently, children who remained at home were given computers to pursue distance teachings and to develop their skills.
The Russian Federation had established statistical data on how many children were without adequate attention and others who were in the hands of social workers, the delegation said. Although there were children who had no fixed residence because of their separation from their parents, they too were known to the authorities and housing services had been provided for them.
Concerning inequality between men and women in employment, the Government was taking the issue seriously, and it had set up a tripartite commission to study the problem in depth, the delegation said. Already, there was a bill in the State Duma with regard to discrimination against women in the labour sector.
Trafficking in women was a problem that could not be neglected and the Government had given it deep thought, the delegation said. The Government was against legalizing prostitution, and it was not in favour of restricting the rights to freedom of movement of people. Women who fulfilled the formalities could leave the country but those who tried to leave the country illegally could be detained at the border.
There were about 19 million people who received financial support from the State, including housing facilities, the delegation said. Many of the families also received child allowances while others received assistance from the social security system.
The number of workers in the private sector had increased to 39 million, the delegation said. In the industrial section, the salaries were promising. The agricultural sector had been treated differently and workers received low salaries. Due to the decrease in government subsidies and customs liberalization, some agricultural firms had ceased to operate.
The Government was worried about the lack of housing. The needs of the population were not being met, the delegation said. In 2002, a number of social houses had been built and distributed to those who needed them. The number of people demanding housing facilities was high.
The Government had received reports on the attempts to pillage army reserves through corruption, the delegation said. The press had revealed the names of civil officials, who were dealing with such illegal operations of the army reserves, including the food. The Government was insisting on changing the administrative structure of the army to prevent any further corruption.
There was no infringement on the rights of AIDS-victims in the country because of the Government’s close monitoring system, the delegation said. The victims received treatment and social assistance from the State. The Government was also making efforts to protect the confidential nature of such diseases in order to prevent any form of discrimination.
The health services had never been privatised and would continue as such, the delegation said. The population received medical treatment directly from the Government because of the absence of medical insurance in the country. The health insurance scheme was not yet developed in the society, and it had just started to appear recently by taking into consideration the experiences of other countries.
The Russian Federation was extremely concerned that every child should be looked after, the delegation said. The authorities were taking all possible steps to accommodate orphans and other children in distress. Any illegal form of adoption was also criminally repressed, while formal adoption of children was encouraged by the State. Because of the measures taken by Moscow with regard to street children, the number had been drastically reduced.
All sorts of restrictions had been imposed on the advertisement of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, the delegation said. Although it was hard to completely prohibit tobacco products, some areas, including schools and airplanes were free from smoking.
The Constitution provided free medical care to individuals and the Government could not remove that constitutional obligation, the delegation said. The State would continue to give free medical care to all who were in need.
During the last few years, the rate of abortions in the country had been reduced by half, the delegation said, adding that the practice still continued at a reduced rate.
On the issue of family planning, the Orthodox Church had influenced the State Duma not to draft a family planning law which included the use of contraceptives, the delegation said. Also, the Church had discouraged the teaching of sexual education to children.
Committee Experts asked if the State was monitoring illegal production of alcoholic drinks in the rural areas by farmers, mostly under unhygienic conditions; the lack of medical materials in rural hospitals; and the extent of trafficking in women.
Responding, the delegation said that the Government had checked on the illegal production of alcoholic drinks and had found that only a few people possessed their own breweries. Other measures had been taken to clamp down on any illegal production of alcoholic beverages.
An Expert asked about the opportunities provided to indigenous peoples concerning education. Did distance learning advantage them? Was there any contradiction between State security and some scientific research?
The delegation said there were 3 million people following distance learning throughout the country.
A system of schools had been developed in the areas where the indigenous people lived, the delegation said. Any indigenous group that spoke a different language was involved in the learning process in its own mother tongue. All courses were conducted in each and every language of the indigenous languages. For example, there were classes of 88 and 117 students in two different indigenous territories where they were learning in their respective languages.
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