20. In addition to the substantive entitlements provided for in the foregoing paragraphs, Article 21 also entails procedural guarantees for its effective realization. The first procedural guarantee is effective and genuine consultation and substantive and rigorous participation in decision-making on plans regarding the exploration and extraction of natural resources. This entails that affected people living in the territories where such exploration and extraction works are planned are provided with all the information on all aspects of such plan, including the findings of environmental, human rights and social impact assessments, ahead of the finalization of the plan. Such information should be easily accessible, and should be provided at the conception, as well as throughout the life-span of the project. 21. Effective enjoyment of and access to the entitlements and protections under Article 21 also require that awareness creation and capacity building support is provided to affected people. In the context of the operations of extractive industries, such awareness creation and capacity building support should be not only about the legal entitlements and protections to which the affected people are entitled but also the obligations of the extractive industries and thereby enabling local communities to monitor the operations of extractive industries. 22. Provision of all the necessary information as negotiations for exploration and development starts and in an accessible manner as well as substantive and rigorous participation is particularly peremptory where exploration and extraction of resources necessitate expropriation of land from affected people (and hence their resettlement) or such other restriction to resources that they depend on for their livelihood. People who may be affected by plans for exploration and extraction activities should in particular be provided with not only the relevant information in terms of how they may be affected in the language that they understand but also the opportunity to participate meaningfully and have their views incorporated in any decision on the measures to be taken to limit and rectify the impacts. All steps should also be taken to ensure that the impact of expropriation and resettlement is minimized. Consultation and participation should take account of all affected persons, at the local, regional, national and international levels, where decisions are made about the extractive industry and ensure that their concerns are fully integrated in decisions. 26 |  African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights