Practitioners’ Brief: Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in International and Regional Human Rights Law

Indigenous communities’ right to influence decisions about activities that affect their lands and resources is an evolving area of international law, with the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) emerging as a central legal concept. This briefing provides context to the concept of FPIC and how the concept has developed in human rights law. It also examines the uses and limitations of the right to FPIC in protecting indigenous peoples’ rights. This resource is intended for legal empowerment practitioners who may be somewhat familiar with FPIC but would like to learn more about applying the concept in different jurisdictions and when dealing with various actors.