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The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent clearly states that the government should not force people to change their method of organisation, thinking, or decision making, nor spread inaccurate information to misinform Indigenous Peoples.

In order to ensure that the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent is complied with, there should be community meetings which make people aware of what is happening and could happen in their area. In addition to this, projects must be supervised in order to ensure that decisions made in the community meetings, are implemented during the development project.

For the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent to be correctly applied, it is important to know that this right is applicable to all Indigenous Peoples. It must be adhered to with respect for indigenous communities’ own methods of communication and each person’s opinion must be heard. Furthermore, it means that there should be meetings with representatives of the government, companies, and Indigenous Peoples in order to arrive at an agreement that benefits the community.

In order for this right to be applied fairly, it should respect the following: 1. From the start of a project, there should be a consultation with the Indigenous People of the area; 2. There should be sufficient time devoted to ensuring that the community receive all of the information about the projects and its impacts; 3. Information should be distributed in accordance with the traditional ways of each community; 4. Any form of trying to influence the opinions of the people should be avoided; 5. All the details of decisions taken should be recorded.

¿Conoce sobre los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) establecidos por Naciones Unidas? En este programa le compartimos información sobre el ODS número 7, enfocado en garantizar el acceso de toda la población a una energía asequible, segura, sostenible y moderna.

¿Qué sabe sobre los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible conocidos como ODS? En este programa le compartimos información sobre el objetivo número 8, enfocado al tema de la economía mundial, pues un crecimiento económico inclusivo y sostenido puede impulsar el progreso, crear empleos decentes para todos y mejorar los estándares de vida. 

A Just Transition for Indigenous Peoples is one that centers a human rights approach and the protection of biodiversity and advances Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination in all endeavors relating to the building of green economies. Doing this will require that all stakeholders observe and fully implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the right to self-determination and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in all decision-making.

¿Sabías que existe una agrupación que lucha por garantizar el respeto de los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas durante la transición hacia una economía verde? Se trata de la Coalición SIRGE, integrada por líderes Indígenas y organizaciones aliadas que, en conjunto, abogan por una transición justa.

Cristina Coc, a Q'eqchi Maya woman of southern Belize, shares how Mayan groups in Belize have been fighting for their rights for over 30 years. After many meetings with the State, the Belize national court has acknowledged legal Indigenous rights to their land and affirmed that the government may not use, destruct, or occupy Indigenous land.

Listen to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples speak about an incident in July 2015 in Southern Belize affecting the rights of the Maya people.

To learn more read: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/belize-unsr-victoria-tauli-corpuz-…

Albert Deterville, Expert Mechanism representative of Latin American and the Caribbean, discusses the Expert Mechanism, as created by the UN, on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the process in which they aid the monitoring of rights in regions around the world.

The first meeting of the Permanent Forum was held in May 2002, with yearly sessions thereafter. The Forum usually meets for 10 days each year, at the UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution E/2000/22, the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that it decides.
Cultural Survival attended the permanent forum in April 2023, and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewee: Naw Ei Ei Min
Image: Cultural Survival

In this interview, Dev Kumar Sunuwar of Cultural Survival speaks with Mohammed Rofique, a member of the Rohingya community, who shares the powerful story of how his family was forced to flee their homeland in Myanmar. Rofique recounts the difficult and dangerous journey they undertook, crossing rugged terrain, dense forests, and treacherous paths in search of safety. Facing violence, uncertainty, and exhaustion, his family ultimately reached the border of Bangladesh, where they sought refuge.