Perpetua George speaks on Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Pep spoke about Free, Prior Informed Consent as a process in project planning, specifically in implementation within sustainable production of palm oil. “The concept implies informed, non-coercive negotiations between companies or governments that are planning a project  and the people that own, occupy or otherwise use the land that may be affected by this project,” she explained to an audience of government officials, planners and consultants.

She sketched how the FPIC process has changed the way in which palm oil companies are developing projects and engaging with their stakeholders. She linked the process to current Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulation in Malaysia and illustrated how it could have been useful in Malaysian urban public projects that have recently been in the public eye, such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train project in Kuala Lumpur.

The forum is an annual event organized by ERE Consulting as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. The forum is co-organised by the Malaysian Association of Social Impact Assessment.  This was the fourth edition of the forum.