Under the development paradigm of ‘Economic Concessions’ increasingly large areas of Cambodia’s land have been given over to establishing fast-wood plantations in recent years. Whilst proponents have argued that plantations are necessary for Cambodia’s economic development, opponents have argued that overall the rural poor do not benefit and that, in addition, there are numerous other negative social impacts and environmental consequences.

The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to describe the legal and institutional framework governing land in Cambodia, as well as the current status of land ownership and use; (2) to estimate the impact of access to land on human development and the potential benefits from land reforms; and (3) to discuss implications for land polices and challenges for implementing land reforms.

This paper is part of a collection of five policy briefs was commissioned by the World Bank for the 2009 World Development Report Reshaping Economic Geography. Through relocation policies, the Government of Lao PDR seeks to transform what it considers to be a traditional, rural economy into a modernised market-oriented system by eradicating shifting cultivation, changing the way that land is allocated and by reaching communities.

As an important step forward, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree 200 in December 2004 to accelerate the reform of state forest enterprises. The government aims to develop provincial SFE reform plans by mid-2005 and to have them implemented over two to three years. However, the Government also recognizes that several implementation and policy issues remain. This review examines the overall policy framework of SFE reform in light of the promulgation of new regulations and existing implementation capacity.

ABSTRACTED FROM THE MISSION STATEMENT: The primary purpose of his mission was for the Special Representative to update himself on the human rights situation in Cambodia for his report to the 61st session of the Commission on Human Rights. He paid particular attention to the management of land and natural resources, the continuing problem of impunity, and to corruption which impacts negatively on the realisation of a range of human rights and distorts the allocation of economic resources so as to further exacerbate existing inequalities.

Although Cambodia has made significant progress in improving human well-being, poverty in rural areas persists. This Human Development Report for Cambodia assesses the state of rural livelihoods and their relationship with natural resources. It describes the status of human development at the regional and provincial levels, and distinguishes high performance areas from those which require more attention.

La publicacion se trata del análisis crítico del Proyecto de Ley Orgánica de Tierras Rurales y Territorios Ancestralesdebatido en la Asamblea Nacional. El texto propone elementos para el debate en torno al proyecto.

El IPDRS se complace en presentar esta visión sobre un tema urgente en Ecuador: la Ley de Tierras Rurales y Territorios Ancestrales.  La autora parte del análisis sobre política pública y reforma institucional en el agro ecuatoriano realizado por el Observatorio de Cambio Rural (OCARU) a lo largo de los últimos tres años. Destaca las contribuciones centrales de Esteban Daza en el seguimiento del debate y el monitoreo a cargo de Isabel Salcedo, que permitieron construir una base de reflexión en diálogo con organizaciones indígenas y campesinas.

El artículo contiene propuestas sobre lo que SIPAE sugiere como temas clave en el debate hacia una nueva Ley de Tierras. Este es un aporte para incentivar la discusión en las organizaciones campesinas e indígenas, entre los expertos en la temática, para un proceso que está totalmente abierto. La posibilidad de colocar en el debate nacional una Ley de Tierras es un desafío para orientar y consolidar las demandas de redistribución de tierras, con un horizonte de Reforma Agraria

The International Land Coalition (ILC)’s Commercial Pressures on Land initiative aims to support the efforts of ILC members and other stakeholders to influence global, regional, and national processes to enable secure and equitable access to land for poor women and men in the face of increasing commercial demand. Its global research contains a careful and focused analysis of the gendered impacts of commercial pressures on land (CPL), and especially the impacts on women.

ABSTRACTED FROM THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Myanmar’s agricultural sector has for long suffered due to multiplicity of laws and regulations, deficient and degraded infrastructure, poor policies and planning, a chronic lack of credit, and an absence of tenure security for cultivators. These woes negate Myanmar’s bountiful natural endowments and immense agricultural potential, pushing its rural populace towards dire poverty. This review hopes to contribute to the ongoing debate on land issues in Myanmar.

PUBLISHER'S ABSTRACT: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 September 2007. Since then, the importance of the role that indigenous peoples play in economic, social and environmental conservation through traditional sustainable agricultural practices has been gradually recognized.