Land, Business and Human Rights

This is the first of a series of consultations on the human rights challenges and dilemmas involved in the
acquisition and use of land – held individually or collectively - for private or state-owned business and
economic purposes. The aim of the series of consultations is to develop a framework that leads to an end of
human rights abuses at any stage of the process – before acquisition, during acquisition, and after operations
have commenced and, if necessary, relocation and rehabilitation arranged, and compensation paid.
This requires strengthening and enforcing the existing legal mechanisms; identifying situations in which the
land acquisition should not take place; highlighting gaps in administration of laws, practices, and policies;
and recommending a framework that businesses should follow as part of their land acquisition process.
The purpose of this paper is to inform and stimulate discussion for the human rights and land roundtable.
Some of the questions being raised are meant to provoke a robust discussion, and there is no pre-determined
outcome.
The Institute aims to organise up to three more consultations of this nature, in different cities, over the next
15 months. Possible locations include Bogota, Colombia; Lagos, Nigeria; and London, UK. The Institute
would like to keep you engaged in the process over the next 15 months.