Sustainability Language

Human Rights & Social Sustainability

Collective rights

Rights held by a group as a group — such as Indigenous peoples' rights to lands, territories and self-determination.

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Definition

Collective rights are rights vested in a group rather than only in its individual members. In sustainability practice they arise most often in relation to Indigenous peoples — the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) recognises collective rights to lands, territories, resources, culture and self-determination — and to communities with customary tenure.

References

Overview

What it means

They cannot be reduced to the sum of individual rights; the group itself is the rights-holder.

How it is used

They underpin free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), collective land titling and biocultural protocols in conservation and development projects.

Why it matters

Ignoring collective rights is a root cause of land conflict and failed conservation; recognising them is linked to better forest and biodiversity outcomes.

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