NRD Reading List | The FPIC Report

The Boreal Leadership Council, founded in December 2003, is made up of leading conservation groups, First Nations, resource companies and financial institutions, all of which have a stake in the management and resource development of the Boreal Forest in Canada. Members are all signatories to the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, which articulates a national vision for a network of large interconnected protected areas covering around half of the country’s Boreal Forest and the use of leading-edge sustainable development practices in remaining areas. You can learn more at their website http://borealcouncil.ca/
The Boreal Leadership Council’s report Understanding Successful Approaches to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in Canada is a must-read for all researchers and practitioners working in the field of natural resource development. Published last September, the Boreal Leadership Council (BLC) report is part of an ongoing effort to increase awareness surrounding the need for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Canada and to promote its successful negotiation.

The September 2015 report is a follow-up to an initial FPIC report published in 2012. The concept has been discussed for many years but there has also been much debate about how best to achieve it. Many First Nations and allies across the country are advancing FPIC through a variety of mechanisms, from procedural guidelines and Band Council Resolutions, to Consultation Protocols and Indigenous land use planning and law. These success stories need to be shared.

The call for FPIC comes out of the foundation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). It maintains the right of Indigenous peoples to offer or withhold consent to developments that may impact their territories or resources.

This report provides a primer for those working in the industry in any capacity on FPIC and is a must-read for the NRD team!
Download the full FPIC report here (PDF)