Free Prior and Informed Consent

A new Oxfam survey of 40 oil, gas and mining companies has found that they are warming to the idea of disclosing their lucrative deals signed with governments, but much work remains to be done.

As conflicts with local communities are a problem for oil, gas and mining companies around the world, a new report by Oxfam finds that the number of mining companies with commitments to “Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)” has almost tripled since 2012. 

For many communities, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) represents a critical tool for ensuring that they have a say in whether and how extractive industry projects move forward. This policy brief examines publicly available corporate commitments regarding community rights and community engagement.