Summary
This report focuses on the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and its application by sustainability initiatives in the context of companies’ engagement with indigenous and local communities. It covers a range of sectors, but the aim is to draw practical lessons and insights from existing literature to inform the development of sustainability standards specifically for the mining and minerals sector. The report seeks to support sustainability standard systems to improve the effectiveness of FPIC implementation, so as to enable the protection and respect of indigenous rights and to safeguard vulnerable and resource-dependent communities. It contributes to wider efforts to inform sustainability policy and practice with evidence and insight from empirical research.