Indigenous Rights and Resource Extraction in Guyana: A Learning Opportunity for the New Offshore Sector?

The recent large-scale offshore oil discoveries in Guyana hold the promise of lucrative economic opportunities for the country and its citizens, including its indigenous population. Comprising roughly 10 percent of the total population, indigenous peoples in Guyana are no strangers to extractive industries, such as mining and logging. While much scholarly and political effort is turned to the identification of good regulatory and fiscal governance of the
newly discovered resources, little attention has been granted to safeguarding the rights of indigenous peoples in Guyana in light of these new extractive activities. This paper identifies and analyses the relevant domestic and international legal provisions on indigenous rights and natural resources, with a particular emphasis on mining and development of offshore resources. It argues that the current legal framework in Guyana does not rise to international standards and that the procedural rights of indigenous peoples must be respected in all decision-making regarding the new offshore oil boom.