V Northern social and environmental congress will take place in Moscow on April, 21-22, 2009. The theme of the Congress is "Northern dimension of Russia: science, innovations, international cooperation". The President of the Russian Federation D.Medvedev and the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation V.Putin came out to support the Congress. The honorary chairman of the Congress is S. Mironov Chairman, Federative Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
    A number of conferences, sessions and section meetings will take place in Moscow on April, 21, during the first day of the Congress. They will be held in RAS, Moscow State University, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (U), Russian Academy of Civil Service, in other high educational and scientific centres. April, 22 is a Plenary Day of the Congress, which will take place in the Columned Hall of the House of Unions (Moscow, Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, 1). The participants and guests of the Congress are being invited to the interregional exhibition "Russian North: culture, innovation potential, social perspectives", which will be opened there.
    Future forums will be organized in the Northern regions of Russia with support of permanently functioning centres in Moscow and the Republic of Komi, where only in the framework of preparation of the Congresses around 50 scientific and practical conferences are being held annually. (4 Congresses took place in Syktyvkar). The materials of the Congresses have formed a library of several tens of volumes.     Among the permanent organizers and participants of the Congress are RF Presidential Administration, RF Government, Council of Federation and State Duma, RF Public Chamber, Russian Academy of Science, the Government of the Komi Republic, Moscow State University and other high educational institutions, a number of Russian and foreign scientific and public organization of social and environmental orientation. Northern social and environmental congress is called to support and coordinate the efforts of the leading Russian and foreign scientists and practitioners, engaged in working out the strategic guiding lines of the sustainable development of the Russian North and Arctic taking into account their resource and human potential, natural and ethno-cultural specifics.
    The participants of the Congress are constantly widening the range of problems to be discussed. The theme of the I Congress (Syktyvkar, April, 21-22, 2005): “Cultural and natural palette of the Northern territories of Russia”. The main problem – protection and augmentation of the natural and ethno-cultural heritage of the Russian North.
    The theme of the II Congress (Syktyvkar, April, 19-21, 2006): “Horizons of the economical and cultural development”. The main problem – dynamics of exploration of the Northern territories and potential of the international cooperation taking into account Finno-Ugor dimension of the Russian policy.
    The key topic of the III Congress "Social perspectives and environmental security", which took place in Syktyvkar, April, 18-20, 2007, became discussion of the draft of the Social Doctrine of the Russian Federation in the context of the Northern problems.
    The IV Congress (Syktyvkar, March, 27-28, 2008) became one of the key events of the International Polar Year, which in 2007-2008 took place in Russia for the first time. This fact is considered as recognition by the international scientific society of the significance of the Russian North and the outstanding role, which Russian science played in Arctic’s research. The theme of the Congress - “Northern dimension of the global problems: first results of the International Polar Year”. In the framework of the Congress an important annual event of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) – Arctic Science Summit Week, March, 26 – April, 2, 2008 took place.

1. International conference "Arctic: collective responsibility of circumpolar countries" is organized by the Centre of Arctic research with participation of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), European Polar Board (EPB), other international governmental and non-governmental organizations.
2. International conference “Fundamental science and education in the interests of sustainable development of the Northern territories of Russia” is organized by the Committee on Science and Science Intensive Technology of State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Council on coordination of activities of the regional branches and regional scientific centres of RAS, Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, Komi Science Centre and Council of Rectors of the Komi Republic, All-national Ecological Forum. The session of the Club of Rectors of the Northern regions is planned.
3. Scientific and practical conference “Cultural and natural heritage of Russia: northern dimension, civilized identity, methods of study and protection”. It is organized by the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University together with the Commission of RF Public Chamber on environmental policy and natural protection and Commission on cultural and spiritual heritage. In the preparation of the conference Moscow Patriarchate, Coordination Council under the Chairman, Federative Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Komi Science Centre. The conference is opened by the expanded meeting of the Scientific Council of RAS on study and protection of the cultural and natural heritage. The theme of the conference is “Anti-crisis strategy of Russia: cultural and natural potential of the Northern regions”.

An expanded meeting of the Coordinating Council on Social Strategy under the Chairman, Federative Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation with the participation of the leading gerontologists (including foreign ones). The theme of the meeting is «Draft of the Social doctrine of the Russian Federation: Quality of living of Northerners and gerontology aspects of the Northern strategy». The meeting is devoted to analysis of proposals made by the scientific society on the results of discussion of the draft of the Conception of the long-term social and economic development of the Russian Federation (Conception 2020) and the draft of the Social Doctrine of the Russian Federation, working variant of which was presented for the first time at the III Northern social and environmental congress.

1. "Systems of ensuring security of the population and territories of the Northern and Arctic regions of the Russian Federation". The organizers of the section are Ministry of Emergency Situations, Administration of Sakhalin region.
2. “Trans-border cooperation of Russia with the Northern countries: present stage, perspectives of development”. The organizer of the section is Moscow State Institute of International Relations (U).
   
3. “Change of climate and protection of nature in Arctic (geopolitical aspects of the problem)”. The organizer of the section is Moscow State Institute of International Relations (U).
   
4. "Social development of the Northern regions: tendencies and perspectives". The organizer of the section is Russian Academy of Civil Service under the President of the Russian Federation.
5. "Northern rivers" The organizers of the section are Federal Agency of Water Resources, FSI "Dvinaregionvodkhoz".
6. “Russian North: from Lomonosov up to modern mega-projects”. The organizer of the section is Administration of Arkhangelsk region.
7. "Problems of infectious security of the Northern peoples". The organizers of the section are Institute of Virusology of RAMS, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (U), Institute of Immunology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency.
8. Youth section of the Congress “Northern innovation strategy of Russia: potential of inter-sector cooperation”. The organizer of the section is Russian Union of the young scientists. Youth scientific organizations and societies are participating in the preparation of the reports.

• "Layout of Komi Republic":
  - Natural and resource potential;
  - Timber-industrial complex;
  - innovation potential;
  - JSC "Belkomur";
  - JSC "Yarega-Ruda";
  - JSC "Моndi Syktyvkar LPK";
  - Finno-Ugric world. Ethnic comfort.
  
• "Creation of marine information infrastructure of open type";
• "Present stage and perspectives of development of plant-growing in Sakhalin";
• "Scientific provision of agro-industrial complex of Sakhalin region"
• "Eleboration of monitoring system of nature in conditions of development of northern territories of Russia" (Siberia Federal University, Krasnoyarsk region).
• Presentation of book "New economy. Innovation portrait of Russia" (Committee on Education and Science, Federal Council, Committee on Science and Science Intensive Technology, Experts Council for the Law-Making Initiatives in the Research Policy of the CF Committee on Education and Science, State Duma, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Centre of strategic partnership).

• Postal address: 32 a, Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119991, Russia
• Phone in Moscow: +7 (495) 938- 1858, 490-0074
• Fax: +7 (495) 938-2211
• Internet: www.n-congress.com
• E-mail: nsecongress@bk.ru; kharitonova@ural.ras.ru