Understanding Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Indigenous Communities
The African Commission emphasizes four key criteria to identify indigenous peoples, highlighting the importance of cultural distinctiveness, self-identification, and experiences of marginalization. The concept of FPIC is crucial for projects impacting communities, ensuring their participation and informed decisions. Gender inclusion and specific group considerations are vital aspects to address when implementing FPIC guidelines.
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Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples The African Commission through its Working Group of Experts on Indigenous Populations/Communities has set out four criteria for identifying indigenous peoples. These are: the occupation and use of a specific territory; the voluntary perpetuation of cultural distinctiveness; self-identification as a distinct collectivity, as well as recognition by other groups; an experience of subjugation, marginalisation, dispossession, exclusion or discrimination. The Working Group also demarcated some of the shared characteristics of African indigenous groups: first and foremost (but not exclusively) different groups of hunter-gatherers or former hunter gatherers and certain groups of pastoralists A key characteristic for most of them is that the survival of their particular way of life depends on access and rights to their traditional land and the natural resources thereon. (Endorois case, para 150)
Communauts Autochtones Communaut s Autochtones Communaut s Autochtones La Commission africaine, par l'interm diaire de son Groupe de travail d'experts sur les populations / communaut s autochtones, a tabli quatre crit res pour identifier les peuples autochtones. Ce sont: l'occupation et l'utilisation d'un territoire sp cifique; la perp tuation volontaire du caract re distinctif culturel; l'auto-identification en tant que collectivit distincte, ainsi que la reconnaissance par d'autres groupes; une exp rience de subjugation, de marginalisation, de d possession, d'exclusion ou de discrimination. Le Groupe de travail a galement d limit certaines des caract ristiques communes des groupes autochtones africains: ... avant tout (mais pas exclusivement) diff rents groupes de chasseurs-cueilleurs ou d'anciens chasseurs-cueilleurs et certains groupes de pasteurs ... ... Une caract ristique cl pour la plupart d'entre eux est la survie de leur mode de vie d pend de l'acc s et des droits sur leurs terres traditionnelles et sur les ressources naturelles qui s'y trouvent. (Endorois, par. 150)
DEFINITION (ACCA) DEFINITION (ACCA) ACCA position on FPIC Free prior and informed consent is a non negotiable threshold for every aspect of projects likely to affect communities. Communities must be able to participate in decisions affecting them and their livelihoods, including through the negotiation and life cycle of a project. (ACCA Declaration, Ghana 2013) - Issues for inclusion: gender (specifically mentioned) specific groups (PWDs, children) (proposed?) Should we keep communities broadly or specify: affected communities, impacted communities, customary communities? -
DEFINITION (ACCA) DEFINITION (ACCA) ACCA Le consentement pr alable, libre et clair est un seuil non n gociable pour tou s les aspects des projets susceptibles d avoir des incidences sur les communaut s. Les communaut s doivent tre en mesure de participer aux d cisions qui ont des incidences sur leurs vies et leurs moyens de subsistance, notamm ent travers la n gociation et le cycle de vie d'un projet.
ISSUES ISSUES Proposed definition Free prior and informed consent is a non negotiable threshold for every aspect of projects likely to affect [all]communities in Africa [including to indigenous, customary and affected communities]. All communities must be able to decide in decisions affecting them and their livelihoods, including through the negotiati on and life cycle of a project. Specific groups including women, children and persons with disabilities must be enable to participate in the FPIC process.
ISSUES ISSUES Proposition de d finition Le consentement libre, pr alable et clair est un seuil non n gociable pour tous les aspects des projets susceptibles d'affecter [toutes] les communaut s en Afrique [y compris les communaut s autochtones, coutumi res et affect es]. Toutes les communaut s doivent tre capable de prendre des d cisions les affectant et leurs moyens de subsistance, y compris travers la n gociation et le cycle de vie d'un projet. Des groupes sp cifiques, notamment les femmes, les enfants et les personnes handicap es, doivent pouvoir participer au processus de CLIP
Implementation/Strategies Advocacy toolkit Legal empowerment programs for communities Strategic alliance (sensitizing the parliament) Reformation of policy environment (Liberia example) Focus on the reputational risk of businesses Baseline consensus on FPIC (Free no intimidation, bribery or inducement; Informed information should include both negative and positive aspects of investments, the right to know more about the information; consent (should mean communities understand the full ramifications of the project; should be gendered and include PWDs, children, women; special emphasis on women address cultural issues on ground) In the case of West Africa, strategic litigation (ECOWAS Court importantly) can be an effective strategy (ECOWAS Mining Directive)-examples of Guinea
Implementation/Strategies (contd) Push advocacy around the community s power to either approve or reject (central to FPIC/CLIP) Highlight land rights (link to land-grabbing) Build solidarity and share information on actual cases/norms/campaigns (e.g Model Mining Law/Southern African Campaign for Dismantling Corporate Power) Advocate for community rights law Transform commitments to laws. How can we empower communities to ensure that their position is maintained? Strategize on how to protect human rights defenders within the context of FPIC. Build movements at community level Strengthen community structures and by-laws (use as vehicle for engagement) Contingency strategies Training more paralegals within the communities
