Indigenous communities successfully claim right to free, prior and informed consent

Location: Sarstoon-Temash National Park, Belize

Timeline: 2006-2014

The Toledo and Stann Creek districts in Southern Belize, and the Sarstoon-Temash National Park in particular, are home to Indigenous Maya people and Afro-descendant Garifuna people. Since 2006, these peoples are confronted with oil exploration and drilling in the park. The communities have undertaken legal action and public awareness campaigns in order to defend the customary land rights of the indigenous peoples living in the park and their right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). In April 2014, the Supreme Court of Belize ruled that the licences granted to the oil company were unlawful.