Community Protocols for Environmental Sustainability

This guide has been written to help policymakers and other stakeholders understand what community protocols are, why they are important, and how they can support their development and recognition within formal environmental legal and policy frameworks. It is also written for all interested in learning about community protocols, including: indigenous peoples and their communities and other local communities (ILCs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), researchers, industry, and those working in government at the local, national and international levels. Community protocols are an emerging concept in international environmental law and policy. The term encompasses a broad range of practices and procedures, written and unwritten, developed by ILCs in relation to their traditional knowledge (TK), territories, and natural and other resources. These practices and procedures cover a range of matters, including how ILCs expect external actors to engage with them.