This paper explores the challenges for democratizing land and natural resource control in Guatemala through use of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests (Tenure Guidelines). This international human rights instrument comes at a critical moment, in which the current global land rush has shaped contemporary agrarian transformation with serious implications for the right to food and control of natural resources.

UNCCD Decision 26 / COP.14 Land tenure

Ce guide est le fruit d’une série de sessions de renforcement des capacités sur le Consentement Préalable, donné librement et en connaissance de cause (CPLCC) organisé par la FAO et l’Agence Foncière Agricole (AFA) entre mai et novembre 2018*.

Key messages:

The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) call for governments to clearly define the term ‘public purpose’ to allow for judicial review of the goals of expropriations of property. However, recent research indicates that national-level legal frameworks that govern expropriation decision-making not only vary greatly from country to country but also often fail to comply with the VGGT standards on expropriation. This creates the potential for unpredictable and, in some cases, arbitrary applications of expropriation law in practice.

Climate- and human-induced land degradation endangers the future survival of our planet. A new focus on achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) seeks to spark and grow transformative efforts to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation through gender- and socially-equitable means.

As per the provisions of rule 10 of the rules of procedures of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties (COP), the second intersessional meeting of the Bureau of the thirteenth session of the COP (COP 13) held in Guiyang, China, on 26 February 2019, endorsed the inclusion of a new agenda item on land tenure, under new and emerging issues, for consideration at COP 14. The Bureau further requested the secretariat to submit a background document in that respect. 

The goal of LEGEND is to apply and test the Analytical Framework for Due Diligence in Responsible Land-Based Agricultural Investments on a large-scale oil palm plantation by Natural Habitats Ltd. The programme is active in Zimmi, Makpele Chiefdom, Pujehun District and is aimed at protecting the land rights, livelihoods and food security of vulnerable people while promoting sustainable businesses. Furthermore, Solidaridad is testing the recent adoption of the New Land Policy (NLP) on Natural Habitat’s work in the chiefdom.

Respecter le consentement préalable, donné librement et en connaissance de cause est un droit collectif qui appartient à tout membre d’une communauté. Cela signifie que les communautés ont le droit de prendre des décisions par leurs propres représentants librement choisis et leurs institutions, coutumières ou autres, telles que les autorités locales et les élus locaux. Ce guide d'accompagnement doit être utilisé pour des formations en consentement libre, préalable et en connaissance de cause.

The Global Symposium on Soil Erosion (GSER19) represented a critical step towards the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM) in terms of minimizing the risk of soil erosion. GSER 19 identified effective and ineffective Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) practices, techniques, instruments and mechanisms which shed light on where the gaps and challenges are in terms of science, technology and legislation.

This policy brief was developed in order to enable a meaningful engagement and policy dialogue with government institutions and other relevant stakeholders about challenges and opportunities related to the recognition of customary tenure in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Customary tenure is understood to be the local rules, institutions and practices governing land, fisheries and forests that have, over time and use, gained social legitimacy and become embedded in the fabric of a society.

Ce guide est le fruit d’une formation portant sur le consentement préalable, donné librement et en connaissance de cause (CPLCC) et le partage d’autres outils développés au niveau local qui s’est tenue les 2 et 3 mai 2018 à Kayes au Mali*. Cette formation a réuni une cinquantaine de participants, venant des organisations paysannes, des groupements de femmes et de jeunes, des élus locaux, des ONG et des services techniques régionaux. Elle a permis à ces différents acteurs d’analyser le processus du CPLCC dans le contexte local pour renforcer la gouvernance foncière au Mali.