was established in 2005 under the Federal Law On the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. The term of office of the Civic Chamber is three years and its purpose is to help citizens interact with government officials and local authorities in order to take into account the needs and interests of citizens, to protect their rights and freedoms in the process of shaping and implementing state policies, and to exercise public control over the activities of executive authorities.
The Civic Chamber has 166 members, representing three equally important groups: 40 citizens approved by an executive order of the President of the Russian Federation; 83 representatives from regional civic chambers; and 43 representatives from national public associations.
Detailed information on the Civic Chamber is available at its official website at http://www.oprf.ru/en.