Respecting free, prior and informed consent: Practical guidance for governments, companies, NGOs, indigenous peoples and local communities in relation to land acquisition

First published on 12/31/2014, and last updated on 06/26/2017

“Respecting free, prior and informed consent: Practical guidance for governments, companies, NGOs, indigenous peoples and local communities in relation to land acquisition”

FAO Governance of Tenure Technical Guide No. 3 (2014)

In May 2012, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) endorsed the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines). The Guidelines provide practical guidance to states, civil society and the private sector on responsible governance of tenure and constitute a framework for policies, legislation and programmes. In particular, the Guidelines encourage respect for rights, good governance and equitable outcomes that secure local people’s livelihoods and promote long-term community-based development.

This paper is a technical guide on free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). It sets out practical actions for government agencies to respect and protect FPIC and for civil society organizations, land users and private investors globally to comply with their responsibilities in relation to FPIC, as endorsed by the Guidelines in Section 9.9. The guide also describes how consultation and participation can be carried out with those rights-holders affected by land-use changes, in line with paragraph 3B.6 of the Guidelines (see “FPIC and the Guidelines”).

(Disclaimer: above text is copied from the Guide’s introduction)