Side Event

Experiences on Free Prior Informed Consent - A Discussion

Organizer
Misereor

Date and Time
22 May 2008 13:15 - 15:0

Meeting
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9)

The right to “free, prior, informed consent” (FPIC) is a fundamental right of indigenous peoples. Recent developments in international policy work have established this right and indeed, national governments are enacting laws and policies that seek to operationalize the principle of FPIC. Despite existing legislation, there are many experiences from around the world that indicate that there is still a lot that needs to be done in terms of developing a system that would actually live up with the spirit of the principle than merely stating it. There is a very real danger that the right to FPIC will just become a slogan and not fully realized. It is the aim of the Side Event to: 1. Gather together various stakeholders to discuss their experiences as regards the process of obtaining the FPIC of indigenous peoples. 2. Identify good practices that can be replicated in other areas. 3. Identify strengths and weaknesses of existing mechanisms for obtaining the FPIC of indigenous peoples. More detailed information will follow.