The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) in collaboration with the Forestry Development Agency (FDA) on Monday, November 18, 2019 began a two-day socialization workshop in Ganta, Nimba County on the National Guidelines for Community Consultation on Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
The workshop is being organized in collaboration with the REDD+ Implementation Unit of the FDA to socialize the newly developed National Guidelines on Community Consultations involving forests in order to comply with Section 2.2 (e) of the Community Rights Law (CRL) of 2009.
The workshop also seeks to socialize the Community Consultation Guidelines by reviewing different existing FPIC processes being used by different actors and harmonize them to adopt a single nationally developed Guideline.
It is also intended to raise awareness among actors for the use of Liberia’s FPIC Guideline for consultations and engagements with forest dependent communities.
Harrison S. Karnwea, FDA Board Chairperson said the gathering is necessary to bring Liberia on par with the rest of the World.
Speaking at the start of the workshop, Mr. Karnwea said Liberia is now catching up with other countries and noted that Liberia’s Open Door Policy attracted concession companies that never subscribed to FPIC.
Mr. Karnwea, former Managing Director of FDA disclosed that granting of land in the past for concessions were done by government without the involvement of local communities.
He appreciated the introduction of FPIC process and called on Liberians to take the practice very serious because it’s good for Liberia’s development.
According to him, FPIC process would guide Liberia’s natural resource management process.
For his part, EPA Assistant Manager for Policy, Jefferson Dahn disclosed that the workshop would increase awareness on the use of FPIC and as well help harmonized fragmented FPIC processes and community engagement programs.
EPA Manager for Planning and Policy, Z. Elijah Whapoe disclosed the FPIC Guidelines would enable Liberians understand their rights and responsibilities in the awarding of concessions.
He added that the process will ensure a more consent engagement especially in the acquisition of community land and help reduce potential conflict risks.
Atty. Yanquoi Dolo, FDA Environmental Lawyer told the gathering that FPIC process is being hugely backed by international and regional instruments.
Atty. Dolo named the regional instruments as the 2009 ECOWAS Directive on the Harmonization of Guiding Principles and Policies in the Mining Sector, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Pan African Parliament Recommendations and Resolutions.
The FDA Lawyer also named the international documents that support FPIC as International Labor Organization Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011).
He added that these instruments further enhance the Free Prior Informed Consent Guidelines.
