The Right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: Indigenous Peoples\u27 Participation Rights within International Law

The right of indigenous peoples to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in relation to development, infrastructure, and resource extraction projects is currently being debated within international law. Particularly contentious is the question of whether the right to FPIC is an existing customary international legal principle and if so, whether this constitutes a full veto right for the affected peoples. This article examines this question by analyzing the development of FPIC within international law and applying the current international standards to two distinct case studies. The first is the Lubicon Cree in Alberta, Canada, and the second is that of the Mayan Communities of Sipakapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacan, Guatemala. Ultimately, these two cases demonstrate how similar violations of indigenous peoples rights can occur in two very different contexts. While the most explicit expression of FPIC is found in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, by examining the jurisprudence of the United Nations Human Rights system, International Labour Organisation Treaty system, and Inter-American Human Rights system, it is clear that the various treaty bodies are interpreting existing rights to culture, property, and non-discrimination as the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decisions that impact their lands or resources. Although it is clear that as of yet the right to full FPIC is not part of customary international law, there is a well-defined consensus that States at a minimum have an obligation to consult with indigenous peoples in good faith with regard to any projects found within their lands or which impact traditionally used resources. Furthermore, this analysis, which consists of both of the above-mentioned case studies and international human rights jurisprudence, highlights the extent of the gap that exists between the standards being developed and current State practice. In the end, this article finds that in order to effectively implement the FPIC and other participation rights, consultations must be recognised as expressions of the right to self-determination and not merely as administrative procedures

The Right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: Indigenous Peoples\u27 Participation Rights within International Law

The right of indigenous peoples to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in relation to development, infrastructure, and resource extraction projects is currently being debated within international law. Particularly contentious is the question of whether the right to FPIC is an existing customary international legal principle and if so, whether this constitutes a full veto right for the affected peoples. This article examines this question by analyzing the development of FPIC within international law and applying the current international standards to two distinct case studies. The first is the Lubicon Cree in Alberta, Canada, and the second is that of the Mayan Communities of Sipakapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacan, Guatemala. Ultimately, these two cases demonstrate how similar violations of indigenous peoples rights can occur in two very different contexts. While the most explicit expression of FPIC is found in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, by examining the jurisprudence of the United Nations Human Rights system, International Labour Organisation Treaty system, and Inter-American Human Rights system, it is clear that the various treaty bodies are interpreting existing rights to culture, property, and non-discrimination as the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decisions that impact their lands or resources. Although it is clear that as of yet the right to full FPIC is not part of customary international law, there is a well-defined consensus that States at a minimum have an obligation to consult with indigenous peoples in good faith with regard to any projects found within their lands or which impact traditionally used resources. Furthermore, this analysis, which consists of both of the above-mentioned case studies and international human rights jurisprudence, highlights the extent of the gap that exists between the standards being developed and current State practice. In the end, this article finds that in order to effectively implement the FPIC and other participation rights, consultations must be recognised as expressions of the right to self-determination and not merely as administrative procedures

Human rights and the clean development mechanism

The 2010 UN climate conference in Cancún emphasized that "Parties should, in all climate change related actions, fully respect human rights". However, so far there is no further guidance. This article discusses the relevant legal human rights norms and two case studies from the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The first case (Bajo Aguán, Honduras) shows that the current absence of any international safeguards can lead to registration of highly problematic projects. The second case (Olkaria, Kenya) suggests that safeguards, introduced here as a side effect of World Bank involvement, can have a positive impact, but that it is necessary to have them based on human rights. It therefore seems recommendable that the UN climate regime develop mandatory human rights safeguards. In addition or alternatively, individual buyer countries or groups of countries, such as the European Union, could introduce their own additional requirements for CDM projects

2018 Illinois Spring Bird Count Report

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Identification of the membrane receptor of a class XIV myosin in Toxoplasma gondii

Apicomplexan parasites exhibit a unique form of substrate-dependent motility, gliding motility, which is essential during their invasion of host cells and during their spread between host cells. This process is dependent on actin filaments and myosin that are both located between the plasma membrane and two underlying membranes of the inner membrane complex. We have identified a protein complex in the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii that contains the class XIV myosin required for gliding motility, TgMyoA, its associated light chain, TgMLC1, and two novel proteins, TgGAP45 and TgGAP50. We have localized this complex to the inner membrane complex of Toxoplasma, where it is anchored in the membrane by TgGAP50, an integral membrane glycoprotein. Assembly of the protein complex is spatially controlled and occurs in two stages. These results provide the first molecular description of an integral membrane protein as a specific receptor for a myosin motor, and further our understanding of the motile apparatus underlying gliding motility in apicomplexan parasites

Scalable production of iPSC-derived human neurons to identify tau-lowering compounds by high-content screening

Lowering total tau levels is an attractive therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. High-throughput screening in neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a powerful tool to identify tau-targeted therapeutics. However, such screens have been hampered by heterogeneous neuronal production, high cost and low yield, and multi-step differentiation procedures. We engineered an isogenic iPSC line that harbors an inducible neurogenin 2 transgene, a transcription factor that rapidly converts iPSCs to neurons, integrated at the AAVS1 locus. Using a simplified two-step protocol, we differentiated these iPSCs into cortical glutamatergic neurons with minimal well-to-well variability. We developed a robust high-content screening assay to identify tau-lowering compounds in LOPAC and identified adrenergic receptors agonists as a class of compounds that reduce endogenous human tau. These techniques enable the use of human neurons for high-throughput screening of drugs to treat neurodegenerative disease

Community effectiveness of indoor spraying as a dengue vector control method: A systematic review

The prevention and control of dengue rely mainly on vector control methods, including indoor residual spraying (IRS) and indoor space spraying (ISS). This study aimed to systematically review the available evidence on community effectiveness of indoor spraying

Childhood Obesity in Florida: A Narrative Review on Current Trends and Interventions

We examine current research on childhood obesity (CO) trends and intervention strategies in Florida. The fiscal, emotional, and health-related costs related to general obesity are staggering. Unfortunately, CO-related publicity, research, policy, and interventions have not been entirely successful in addressing the problem. Florida ranks 35thnationally in prevalence of CO. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2013 report a statistically significant decrease in Florida\u27s rate of CO among 2-4 year-olds participating in Florida’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from 2008-2011. Whereas Florida still has significant room for improvement on the issue of CO, its relatively low CO prevalence indicates a step in the right direction. Information provided herein provides valuable insight, resource information, and motivation to healthcare providers, particularly registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs). As nutrition experts employed in various areas of society, RDNs are advantageously situated to contribute significantly to the CO solution. Florida appears to benefit from interdisciplinary collaborations among healthcare facilities, schools, faith-based organizations, governmental agencies, and grassroots programs that may play a major role in the current fight against CO