The National Toshaos Council (NTC) has advertised for a consultant to assist it with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) consultations with indigenous communities.
In the last Sunday Stabroek, the advertisement said that the FPIC consultant will be responsible for mapping the process on how to follow FPIC principles agreed upon by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The consultant will facilitate the first phase of the FPIC Guidelines Development Process which is to work up the first draft FPIC Guidelines for Stakeholder Engagement with IPLCs.
FPIC is a specific right conferred on Indigenous Peoples recognised in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which aligns with their universal right to self-determination. FPIC enables Indigenous Peoples to provide or withhold/withdraw consent, at any point, regarding projects impacting their communities.