FPIC Due Diligence Resources for Investors
The free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) due diligence resources page highlights our Free, Prior and Informed Consent Due Diligence Questionnaire.
Available in English, Spanish, Russian and French, the DDQ provides key considerations for investors seeking to implement best practices for operationalizing Indigenous Peoples’ FPIC regarding the development of resources on or near Indigenous lands and territories. This can include energy and marine resources, agriculture, and cultural property, among others.
Specifically, the DDQ delineates considerations for designing FPIC due diligence, including:
Identifying impacted Indigenous Peoples,
Information collection and transmission,
Engagement and agreement priorities, and
Post-agreement requirements.
FPIC due diligence exposes project risks that could materially affect a company’s success, as well as potential harms to Indigenous Peoples, their lands, or their resources.
Since its release in 2018, the DDQ has been widely circulated by social and impact investors. It was updated in 2024 to reflect two key developments in the field. First, to integrate robust consideration of Indigenous Peoples’ own definitions of FPIC and the self-determined protocols and processes for engagement with the private sector. Second, that recognition of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact requires particular consideration due to their heightened vulnerability to development and engagement.
Where there are impacts to and involvement of Indigenous Peoples, FPIC due diligence is required by companies to:
Identify and eliminate risk of harm prior to project development and implementation.
Provide a framework to understand on-the-ground impacts to people and place.
Fulfill the fiduciary duty to shareholders to report project risk.
Create a rights-centered framework for relationship-building and equitable partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.