How does ‘Free, Prior and Informed Consent’ (FPIC) impact social equity?

Abstract

The principle of “Free, Prior and Informed Consent” (FPIC) is promoted through international agreements and safeguards in order to strengthen social equity in resource management by requiring consent from indigenous and/or local communities prior to actions that affect their land and resource rights. Based on early experiences with implementing FPIC standards in mining and forestry, we examine how FPIC has impacted social equity and why This research was supported by the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme