“We have started the socialization of the Law of Free, Prior and Informed Consultation”

This Honduran congressional release was published using machine translation.

This Thursday, the deputy Óscar Nájera met with representatives of the Organization "Muskitia Asla Takanka" (MASTA), of the Mosquitia, to socialize the "Law of Free, Prior and Informed Consultation".

The law consists in establishing appropriate procedures to consult with the communities, regarding projects, legislative or administrative measures, susceptible to affect them directly or indirectly through their representative institutions and with the purpose of reaching an agreement or obtaining consent, according to correspond.

The deputy Óscar Nájera, explains that “Today as part of the socialization of the project of the Law of Prior and Informed Consultation with the organization of the Mosquitia, MASCA, with whom we had a profitable tomorrow”

Soon we will have a calendar - he continued saying - to visit all the villages of the indigenous settlements to know their needs, both health, education, security and everything that comes to improve the quality of life.

Objective of the Law:

The law aims to establish the rules, scope, scope and principles that will govern the process of prior, free and informed consultation.

The law seeks to dictate measures to protect the rights and interests of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the country.

This Law will create the legal framework with the purpose that indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples through free, prior and informed consultation, maintain their identity, diversity and provide spaces for participation.

In addition, create the National Commissioner of Free, Prior and Informed Consultation (CONACOLP) as a decentralized entity of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, with technical, functional and administrative autonomy.

CONACOLP will be the governing body and will ensure consultation processes, as well as the correct application of the law and its regulations.

FACT:

The State of Honduras recognizes as Indigenous and Afro-Honduran Peoples (PIAH), the following: Tolpán, Tawakha, Miskitu, Nahua, Lenca, Maya - Chortí, Pech, English-speaking black and Garifuna.