19 March 2022. The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples to business activities is a true mark of responsible business. It is respect for their collective rights to self-determination and to their lands.

In this article, Dr. Bonny Ling writes on the centrality of FPIC in relation to project constructions on Indigenous Peoples’ lands. She writes on the construction of Taiwan’s largest solar farm on the customary lands of the Katratripulr in Zhiben in southern Taiwan, amidst controversy over the absence of FPIC from the Katratripulr with customary claim to the land. 

She highlights the meaning of FPIC, the significance of respecting the granting or withholding of consent by Indigenous Peoples, and how we can ensure that environmentally friendly business is not realised at the expense of human rights. Efforts to carry out human rights due diligence can ensure that businesses are aware of the need to acquire FPIC before operations begin.

You can read more on our work on identifying and managing risks associated with human rights, here.