23. Fundamental to full and informed participation in decision-making processes, the right to information, arising from Article 9 of the African Charter, and rigorous consultation presupposes and is predicated on internationally acceptable human rights, environmental and social impact assessments. As the African Commission pointed out in the SERAC case, environmental impact assessments have to be conducted in compliance with internationally acceptable standards. Such assessment should involve communities and individuals in the territory of proposed extractive operations and take account of local knowledge systems related to the environment. Similarly, there should be human rights and social impact assessments, which should be conducted with the free and full participation of prospective affected people and having regard to indigenous knowledge and information as well as the needs of vulnerable groups such as children, indigenous peoples, older persons and migrant workers. 24. The other procedural guarantee relates to the provision of effective mechanisms for redress or remedy. This entails that judicial and non-judicial grievance mechanisms are put in place and that such mechanisms are adequately equipped and resourced for handling cases involving extractive industries. Such mechanisms should also be accessible to affected people. Accessibility entails not only physical proximity but also importantly familiarity and flexibility of the processes to allow affected people to easily bring their complaints. Effective access to courts also requires that statutes of limitations or other excessively onerous procedural requirements (such as production of title deed) should not be used to impose restrictions on the ability of people to bring complaints where their rights have been violated. Human rights defenders who speak out and advocate for measures to ensure the respect of human rights of affected people must be able to assist affected people without fear of reprisals from the government or the company involved in extractive industries and the State should ensure that there is not impunity for threats, attacks and acts of intimidation against those advocating for the rights of affected communities irrespective of their designation as human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders. 25. Additionally, within the framework of Article 21(2), people whose land, water or source of livelihood have been disrupted or spoiled by dispossession are entitled to measures for restoration of their property and to full, effective State Reporting Guidelines and Principles  | 27