Social Sustainability
Self-Determination
Definition
Self-determination is the right of peoples to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, enshrined as common Article 1 of the ICCPR and ICESCR and in the UN Charter. For Indigenous peoples, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) affirms self-determination with rights to autonomy in internal and local affairs — grounding free, prior and informed consent and control over traditional lands and resources.
References
Source imported for editorial provenance.
This reference provides supporting context for how “Self-Determination” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
The principle structures UNDRIP implementation, treaty and land-claim processes, FPIC requirements in project standards, and rights-based approaches to conservation (where fortress conservation historically violated it).
Why it matters
Self-determination is the master right from which much of the Indigenous and community agenda in sustainability flows.