Building Trust and Inclusivity: FPIC Guidance Document Published on Living Labs
September 23, 2024
We’re pleased to announce the release of a new Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) Guidance Document as part of West Africa Blue’s Living Labs initiative. This essential resource outlines a comprehensive framework for engaging Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in the development of blue carbon projects.
Key Themes from the FPIC Guidance Document:
Community-Centric Approach: West Africa Blue is committed to co-developing its projects with IPLCs by ensuring their right to give or withhold consent at every stage of a project. The FPIC process emphasizes transparency, respect for local customs, and continuous dialogue with community leaders.
Comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement: The document provides clear guidelines for identifying local stakeholders, establishing formal consultation processes, and building long-term partnerships with communities. This includes participatory mapping exercises and ensuring gender-sensitive approaches to community engagement.
Gender-Sensitive Feedback Mechanism: A core aspect of the guidance is the creation of a gender-sensitive Feedback, Grievance, and Redress Mechanism (FGRM+). This ensures that all members of the community, particularly women and vulnerable groups, can raise concerns, provide input, and participate fully in the decision-making process.
Capacity Building: The guidance stresses the importance of investing in local capacity building to ensure long-term sustainability. This includes recruiting and training community liaison officers from within the communities and supporting local governance structures.
This FPIC Guidance Document is a key step in West Africa Blue’s efforts to uphold the highest standards of integrity and inclusivity in project development. It also provides a blueprint for project teams to ensure that project interventions respect the rights and traditions of local communities while promoting sustainable outcomes.
Explore the FPIC Guidance Document and our Living Labs page to learn more about how West Africa Blue is advancing best practices in community engagement and consent in blue carbon projects.