61 214 consulted on any matters that might affect them” , taking into account that “the purpose of such 215 consultations should be to obtain their free and informed consent” . When States grant natural resource exploration or exploitation concessions to utilize property and resources encompassed within ancestral territories, they must adopt adequate measures to develop effective consultations, prior to granting the 216 concession, with communities that may potentially be affected by the decision . The right of every person to participate in matters that may affect them (Art. 23, American Convention on Human Rights), for the case of indigenous peoples in the framework of development projects carried out over the lands, territories and natural resources they use or occupy, translates into prior, free and informed consultation 217 processes, as provided for in ILO Convention 169 . Natural resource exploitation in indigenous territories without the affected indigenous people’s consultation and consent causes, in many cases, a 218 deterioration of the environment which imperils these peoples’ survival and violates their right to 219 property . Consequently there is a state duty to consult and, in given cases, obtain indigenous peoples’ consent towards plans or projects for investment, development or exploitation of natural resources in indigenous territories: states must “promote, consistent with their relevant international obligations, participation by indigenous peoples and communities affected by projects for the exploration and exploitation of natural resources by means of prior and informed consultation aimed at garnering their voluntary consent to the design, implementation, and evaluation of such projects, as well as to the determination of benefits and indemnization for damages according to their own development 220 priorities.” Through such prior consultation processes, indigenous and tribal peoples’ participation must be guaranteed “in all decisions on natural resource projects on their lands and territories, from design, 221 through tendering and award, to execution and evaluation” . 217. The right to property over natural resources does not depend on state recognition; therefore, prior consultation procedures “must involve the groups that may be affected, either because they own land or territory or because such ownership is in the process of determination and 222 settlement.” In other words, indigenous and tribal peoples who lack formal titles of property over their territories must also be consulted in relation to the granting of extractive concessions or the implementation of development or investment plans or projects in their territories. States violate indigenous peoples’ right to property “by granting logging and oil concessions to third parties to utilize the property and resources that could fall within the lands which must be delimited, demarcated and titled or 214 CIDH, Informe de Seguimiento – Acceso a la Justicia e Inclusión Social: El camino hacia el fortalecimiento de la Democracia en Bolivia. Doc. OEA/Ser/L/V/II.135, Doc. 40, 7 de agosto de 2009, párr. 157. 215 CIDH, Informe de Seguimiento – Acceso a la Justicia e Inclusión Social: El camino hacia el fortalecimiento de la Democracia en Bolivia. Doc. OEA/Ser/L/V/II.135, Doc. 40, 7 de agosto de 2009, párr. 157. 216 CIDH, Informe No. 40/04, Caso 12.053, Comunidades Indígenas Mayas del Distrito de Toledo v. Belice, 12 de octubre de 2004, párr. 143. 217 CIDH, Acceso a la Justicia e Inclusión Social: El camino hacia el fortalecimiento de la Democracia en Bolivia. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II, Doc. 34, 28 de junio de 2007, párr. 246. CIDH, Segundo Informe sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en el Perú. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II.106, Doc. 59 rev., 2 de junio de 2000, párr. 26. 218 CIDH, Segundo Informe sobre la situación de los derechos humanos en el Perú. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II.106, Doc. 59 rev., 2 de junio de 2000, párr. 26. CIDH, Informe No. 75/02, Caso 11.140, Mary y Carrie Dann v. Estados Unidos, 27 de diciembre de 2002, párr. 131. CIDH, Informe No. 40/04, Caso 12.053, Comunidades Indígenas Mayas del Distrito de Toledo v. Belice, 12 de octubre de 2004, párr. 140. 219 CIDH, Informe No. 40/04, Caso 12.053, Comunidades Indígenas Mayas del Distrito de Toledo v. Belice, 12 de octubre de 2004, párr. 144. 220 CIDH, Democracia y Derechos Humanos en Venezuela, 2009. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II, Doc. 54, 30 de diciembre de 2009, párr. 1141, Recomendación 5. Ver también: CIDH, Acceso a la Justicia e Inclusión Social: El camino hacia el fortalecimiento de la Democracia en Bolivia. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II, Doc. 34, 28 de junio de 2007, párr. 297, Recomendación 5. 221 CIDH, Acceso a la Justicia e Inclusión Social: El camino hacia el fortalecimiento de la Democracia en Bolivia. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II, Doc. 34, 28 de junio de 2007, párr. 248. 222 CIDH, Acceso a la Justicia e Inclusión Social: El camino hacia el fortalecimiento de la Democracia en Bolivia. Doc. OEA/Ser.L/V/II, Doc. 34, 28 de junio de 2007, párr. 246.