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Free, prior and informed consent
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<p>Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is aimed to establish bottom-up participation and consultation of an indigenous population prior to the beginning of development on ancestral land or using resources in an indigenous population's territory. <a href="/facts/Indigenous_people/zyzBMXBS">Indigenous people</a> have a special connection to their land and resources and inhabit one fifth of the Earth's surface. Such areas are environmentally rich in both renewable and non-renewable resources. The <a href="/facts/Collective_ownership/uIggkYVD">collective ownership</a> style of most Indigenous Peoples conflicts with the modern global market and its continuous need for resources and land. To protect Indigenous Peoples' rights, international human rights law has created processes and standards to safeguard their way of life and to encourage participation in the decision-making process. One such method is the process of FPIC. There is criticism that many international conventions and <a href="/facts/Treaties/KCfhDfDV">treaties</a> require <a href="/facts/Public_consultation/uNPVrgX8">consultation</a>, not <a href="/facts/Consent/49VpqNsH">consent</a>, which is a much higher threshold. Without the requirement for consent, indigenous people cannot veto government projects and developments in their area that directly affect their lives and cultures. FPIC allows Indigenous Peoples to have the right to <a href="/facts/Self-determination/bk7dhtju">self-determination</a> and <a href="/facts/Self-governance/1LzWPe7g">self-governance</a> in national and local government decision-making processes over projects that concern their lives and resources. </p><p>Examples include <a href="/facts/Natural_resource_management/VTS4IMbA">natural resource management</a>, <a href="/facts/Economic_development/4KRrMBaM">economic development</a>, uses of <a href="/facts/Traditional_knowledge/1Y2McCnK">traditional knowledge</a>, <a href="/facts/International_Treaty_on_Plant_Genetic_Resources_for_Food_and_Agriculture/NpJRRW10">genetic resources</a>, <a href="/facts/Health_care/LPS1WKbI">health care</a>, and <a href="/facts/Education/WIwsQKF9">education</a>. </p>