Download the Joint Opinion Brief about the World Bank’s safeguards process here. 

In October 2012, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) organized a workshop on Legal Options to Secure Community Property Rights, which was held in Batangas, Philippines. At this meeting, 15 international participants with expertise and experience on community property rights came together to discuss i) best current legal practices in the recognition of collective property rights; ii) recognition of collective rights vis-à-vis individual or household rights; and iii) other relevant topics.

To take this dialogue forward, a second meeting was held on 2-4 December 2013 in Tagaytay City, Philippines to initiate discussion on the formation of a network of selected legal professionals with experience in promoting indigenous and other community based property rights.

The formation of a Community Tenure Rights Legal Reference Group was seen as an opportunity to enhance the reflection on the role of legal strategies to secure indigenous and other community based property rights to lands and resources, while also providing RRI Partners and Collaborators with a set of expertise on legal issues facing their work.

The Group is now officially named Lawyers for Community Tenure. Broadly, it is a global coalition of lawyers and advocates for securing community tenure. It serves as a legal reference group for the RRU, other networks and organizations as well as Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The Ateneo de Manila University – School of Government (Quezon City, Philippines) is serving as the Group’s Secretariat for 2014.