This resource covers Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), an essential principle articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which asserts that First Nations Peoples possess the inherent collective right to participate in decision-making processes on issues that affect their lives, lands, waters, skies and resources, and to grant or withhold consent for projects and decisions which affect them.
Ultimately, FPIC is about participation and consent: it aims to ensure that First Nations and other Indigenous Peoples are given opportunities to exercise their right to meaningful and effective participation in project design and implementation, as well as to grant or withhold consent on particular activities or components that may affect them. While there is no single formula for implementing the principles of FPIC in practice – and in fact its implementation, if it happens at all, varies wildly across sectors, projects and contexts – the core elements are providing adequate time, information and resources. FPIC processes with First Nations Peoples and communities must proceed in culturally relevant and appropriate ways, and be centred on the particular perspectives and decision-making processes unique to the communities and individuals involved.Â