Abstract:

Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is a specific right that pertains to indigenous peoples and is recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). FPIC allows indigenous peoples to give or withhold consent to any project that may affect them or their territories. Once they have given their consent, they can withdraw it at any stage. Through the FPIC process, indigenous peoples are able to negotiate the conditions under which the project will be designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated. This is also embedded within the universal right to self-determination.