Center's REDD-related Comments on FPIC Guidelines; Benefit and Risk Assessment Tool

The Center has filed additional comments related to REDD+ in our continued efforts to raise awareness of the importance of indigenous peoples’ rights in all efforts to combat climate change. We submitted comments to the UN-REDD Programme on two draft policies: the Draft Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Guidelines and the Draft Principles and Criteria and Benefit and Risk Assessment Tool.

While the Center is encouraged by the UN-REDD’s acknowledgment of its obligation to adopt a human rights-based approach to its REDD work, we are concerned that a human rights-based approach has not been effectively operationalized within UN-REDD policies. In our comments, we raise several concerns about not just these policy drafts, but about critical human rights issues not addressed by current policy proposals, including coherence with human rights standards and effective assessment, recognition and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights of self determination and full ownership rights to their lands and natural resources, and the right to effective remedy. In order to prevent violations of the rights of indigenous peoples, the UN-REDD Programme must resolve these critical shortcomings prior to approving new policies.

Click here to read our comments on the Draft Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Guidelines

Click here to read our comments on the Draft Principles and Criteria and Benefit and Risk Assessment Tool.

For further information you can access the Center’s position paper on Free, Prior and Informed Consent here.