Workshop on  SECAP Indigenous Peoples Plans

By respecting Indigenous rights and integrating their perspectives, projects can improve accountability, promote inclusivity, and ensure equitable outcomes.

During the SECAP Indigenous Peoples* Plans (IPP) workshop on March 11, 2025, attendees gained valuable knowledge on the essential aspects of IPP formulation and the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process. The session featured Arundhati Inamdar (SECAP, IFAD) and Ilaria Firmian (IFAD), who provided insights into how SECAP influences project planning and execution.

A case study from the Philippines, shared by Ryan Filiberto P. Botengan (SECAP Specialist), illustrated applications of FPIC and strategies for engaging Indigenous Peoples in projects with significant social and environmental risks, in accordance with the national regulations.

The interactive Q&A segment allowed participants to delve deeper into crucial themes such as Development of Indigenous Peoples Plans (IPPs), Consultation with Indigenous Communities, Resettlement Issues, Alignment with International Legal Frameworks, and much more. Discussions underscored the necessity of early and sustained engagement to ensure Indigenous Peoples are not only consulted but meaningfully involved in decision-making processes.

*Consistent with international practice and for the purposes of this policy, IFAD uses a working definition of Indigenous Peoples based on the following:

- Priority in time, with respect to occupation and use of a specific territory; 

- The voluntary perpetuation of cultural distinctiveness, which may include aspects of language, social organization, religion and spiritual values, modes of production, laws and institutions; 

- Self-identification, as well as recognition by other groups, or by state authorities, as a distinct collectivity; and 

- An experience of subjugation, marginalization, dispossession, exclusion or discrimination.

Further resources: 

• How to do note: Seeking, free, prior and informed consent in IFAD investment projects 

• Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Applying the principle to on-the-ground action 

• IFAD Policy on Engagement with Indigenous Peoples: 2022 update 

• The Free, Prior and Informed Consent Advantage: Action for empowerment in Latin America