Community Consent Index 2012: Oil, Gas, and Mining Company Public Positions on FPIC

The principle of community consent is one of the most critical issues facing the development community. Although relevant to large-scale development projects like dams and large-scale agriculture, this document focuses on development projects in the extractive sector. Increasingly, around the world local communities are demanding a meaningful voice in determining whether and under what conditions oil, natural gas, and mining projects take place. As conflicts and controversies surrounding oil, gas, and mining operations have intensified in recent years, the principle of ?free, prior, and informed consent? (FPIC) has emerged as a focal point in the broader debate around extractive industries. Oxfam defines FPIC as the principle that indigenous peoples and local communities must be adequately informed about oil, gas, and mining projects in a timely manner and should be given the opportunity to approve (or reject) a project prior to the commencement of operations.