Guidelines on Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Summary

Recognizing the critical role of indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities to the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of REDD+, the UN-REDD Programme has prioritized stakeholder engagement from its inception. Recognizing that a key component of effective stakeholder engagement is the right to FPIC and responding to calls from stakeholders, countries, partners and donors for further clarification on FPIC in the context of REDD+, the UN-REDD Programme organized a series of regional and international consultations with indigenous peoples, forest-dependent communities, international human rights and safeguards experts and REDD+ practitioners to delve into the complexities, challenges and remaining questions around the application of FPIC for REDD+.

The Guidelines are the result of more than two years of consultation, analysis, pilot-testing, consensus building and refinement around core issues related to FPIC; from its conceptual definition to its practical application.

The Guidelines outline a normative, policy and operational framework for seeking and obtaining FPIC in the context of REDD+. There will be periodic updates to this version based on the application of the Guidelines, increased information and experience related to the application of FPIC more generally, and continued input and feedback from governments, indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities, practitioners, experts and partners.

The UN-REDD Programme invites actors and practitioners around the world to apply, use and interpret these Guidelines for their own purposes and to help test and improve their utility on an ongoing basis.