Human Rights in Natural Resource Development: Public Participation in the Sustainable Development of Mining and Energy Resources

"A new human right of public participation by those affected by natural resource development is set to define major economic developments in the twenty-first century. It is a fundamental part of the international norm of 'sustainable development', designed to harmonize economic betterment and environmental-cultural-social protection for this and succeeding generations. A recognized human right since the 1940s, public participation today is assuming many different legal and political forms - citizen involvement, indigenous peoples' rights, local community rights, sustainable development agreements, public hearings, consultation, advisory councils, right to information, right to justice, decisional transfers, benefits sharing, and more. The right to be heard is a fundamental principle of public law in most of the world's legal systems, but in practice ranges from being deeply ingrained in some cultures to non-existent in others.