Covers common land rights challenges in Africa; history of land tenure in the Congo; land rights in the Third Republic – present-day DRC; forest legislation in DRC in context: the Congo Basin region; the development of the current forest legislation in DRC; how forests are viewed by policy makers: forests as sources of revenue; the role of civil society in forest sector debates; strategies for change used by Congolese civil society actors.

This policy brief is based on research that examines women’s security in the context of large-scale land deals in West Africa. It focuses on Northern Sierra Leone and the impact of biofuels investment projects in Port Loko district, recommending three key changes.

Argues that there are 5 shortcomings in both the old (World Bank) and contemporary (Hernando de Soto) arguments for formalisation of land title. First, legality is constructed narrowly to mean only formal legality. Therefore legal pluralism is equated with extra-legality. Second, there is an underlying social-evolutionist bias that presumes inevitability of the transition to private (conflated with individual) ownership as the destiny of all societies. Third, the presumed link between formal title and access to credit facilities has not been borne out by empirical evidence.

Compares land reform in Scotland and Africa. Examines the role of land, patterns of land holding, where is ultimate power vested, the role of customary chiefs and landowners, getting people to participate, who is the community, consultation, who is driving the agenda. Argues that legislative change alone is not enough.

Asks how can poor people protect their land rights? Stresses importance of land in the social, economic and political life of Africa and fact that land is contested all over Africa, with women’s rights particularly at risk. Land registration is inaccessible to most. African governments have often muddied the water, with land frequently used to reward political loyalty. The commons are especially important for poorer people, but everywhere are under growing pressure as privatisation and enclosure continue.

Draws from the Avante Consulta tool designed for the forestry sector and includes a tool in respect to consultation processes, which are mandatory in the context of the state taking decisions in relation to the award of land and natural resource rights to external investors. Consists of a set of steps that aim to empower the communities in these consultations. Designed to be applied in situations where the co-management of natural resources is being encouraged and the poor must compete with other, often stronger, stakeholders to ensure that their rights are recognized.

Report assesses current practices in Mozambique with regards to land delimitation and demarcation and the extent to which they really protect communities against land grabs. Presents additional steps to be taken / piloted to increase communities’ protection against land grabs and better position and prepare them to negotiate with investors. Special attention is dedicated to the challenges facing women in this process.

CARE commissioned a review of the community land delimitation and demarcation processes implemented by various organisations in Nampula province, focusing on the work of ORAM. Contains an analysis of the extent to which these programmes are assisting communities to prepare for the advent of an expected wave of large-scale investments throughout the north of the country, in the face of gas and coal discoveries and the proposed development of large-scale agribusiness ventures along the Nacala corridor.

The paper explores whether the post-Cold War rule of law reform agenda in sub-Saharan Africa has enhanced or impeded gender equity. Argues that a large part of the gender equality agenda remains unaddressed by the legal and institutional reforms undertaken so far. The section on reforms to property laws suggests that they have at worst deepened gender inequality and at best left biases intact. Official discussion of gender and land tenure remains disconnected from broader processes of economic restructuring.

Report on a desktop study commissioned by FAO. Contains introduction; the context for land reform (the legacy of colonialism, women’s access, women in agriculture, HIV/AIDS and land reform); an overview of land reform issues and debates (policy issues, gender equity as a policy goal); land reform and women (case studies from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe); conclusion (key findings and recommendations); synopsis of land policies by country.

Contains introduction, research on land and conflict, land issues in Rwanda, Eastern DRC, and Burundi, conclusion. Recent research has pointed to the significance of environmental variables in triggering and sustaining struggles for power in the Great Lakes Region. Contested rights to land and natural resources are a significant element in the dynamics of conflict in the region.

This report seeks to contribute to greater understanding of how people respond to and resist land dispossession. Regardless of the context or mechanisms of dispossession, victims face common experiences of marginalisation and the failure to respect human rights. It contains detailed case studies on Angola, Colombia, Sierra Leone and Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. The aim of the report is not to draw parallels between these vastly different contexts, rather it seeks to examine resistance to dispossession and replacement.