Chapter 04 · People & supply chainsHuman Rights & Social Sustainability
Collective rights
Definition
Collective rights are rights vested in a group rather than only in its individual members. In sustainability practice they arise most often in relation to Indigenous peoples — the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) recognises collective rights to lands, territories, resources, culture and self-determination — and to communities with customary tenure.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
What it means
They cannot be reduced to the sum of individual rights; the group itself is the rights-holder.
How it is used
They underpin free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), collective land titling and biocultural protocols in conservation and development projects.
Why it matters
Ignoring collective rights is a root cause of land conflict and failed conservation; recognising them is linked to better forest and biodiversity outcomes.