Securing Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Self-determination:

“Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is the first line of defense when investors and government officials seek to develop projects that may affect Indigenous communities, lands, territories, and resources. For this reason, Indigenous Peoples must be prepared to engage with FPIC from a fully informed, proactive stance. Indigenous Peoples must have their FPIC protocols ready, and be ready to lead engagement around FPIC on their terms.” –Securing Indigenous Peoples' Right to Self-Determination: A Guide on Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) – Indigenous Peoples’ right to give or withhold consent on any activities that affect their lands, resources, and communities – flows from Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination. As such, FPIC encompasses and protects all rights of Indigenous Peoples. This includes land rights, collective rights, participatory rights, cultural rights, and food and water security rights, as well as the rights to language, education, Traditional Knowledge, intellectual property, and more.

While minimum standards for FPIC are enumerated in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the full spectrum of considerations and protocols to secure FPIC must be articulated by the impacted Indigenous Peoples themselves–something that is often misunderstood or ignored by companies and nations that approve projects with negative impacts on Indigenous communities.

To support Indigenous leaders to develop protocols and processes for their FPIC priorities, both within their communities and with external parties, Cultural Survival and First Peoples Worldwide have published Securing Indigenous Peoples' Right to Self-Determination: A Guide on Free, Prior and Informed Consent.