Spurred by international policy commitments and growing demand from their constituencies, African land institutions are looking to place community land rights at the center of national development agendas.
RECENT ARTICLES
Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ land rights is a climate change solution
We already know the solution to climate change: reduce emissions and protect forests. And luckily, there is a group of experts who are uniquely suited to manage, protect, and restore the world’s forests: Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
[Portuguese] A hora das cadeias éticas de suprimentos é agora
O apelo de ONGs líderes para que as empresas sigam a Accountability Framework (o Quadro de Responsabilização) para acabar com a destruição do ecossistema e violações dos direitos humanos na produção, comércio e financiamento de carne bovina, óleo de palma, polpa, madeira, soja e outras mercadorias.
The time for ethical supply chains is now
Leading NGOs call on companies to follow the Accountability Framework to end ecosystem destruction and human rights violations in the production, trade, and finance of beef, palm oil, pulp, timber, soy, and other commodities
Forests, Tenure, and Climate: Some key recent findings with respect to REDD+ and beyond REDD+
In spite of widely-recognized challenges, REDD+ continues to be one of the primary approaches for forest-based climate change mitigation. We have recently published a book chapter titled “Land and carbon tenure: Some—but insufficient—progress”. It examines the extent to which REDD+ has addressed the critical issue of land tenure, and also summarizes some key research findings on forests, tenure, and climate—not only those related to REDD+ but also those going beyond it.
Leaders in the climate struggle: how Indigenous Peoples and local communities offer hope in the face of crisis
The recent IPCC report was the first to recognize the critical importance of securing indigenous and community land rights as a climate solution.
RRI’s Strategic Analysis and Global Engagement Director Alain Frechette discusses the evidence behind this finding.
IPCC Agrees with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities on Climate Change
The most recent IPCC report is a critical reminder from the world’s top scientists that there is already an effective solution to the climate crisis in place: recognizing the rights of the Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have cared for the world’s forests for generations. We have seen the evidence of this mounting for years—and the policy community can no longer afford to delay action on recognizing community land rights to secure our collective future.
How an innovative partnership between government and civil society is driving progress in Liberia
The work to address the longstanding issue of insecurity around land does not end with legislation. Liberia’s citizens will not gain from the protections of the LRA without implementation. Nor can the government go it alone: given their proximity to communities, history of advocacy on behalf of marginalized groups, and their familiarity with the government’s platform under the new law, civil society organizations are ideal partners for implementation.
Why is land such an important source of power for indigenous and community women? Four experts weigh in
At the most recent Women Deliver conference—the world’s largest gathering on gender equality and the wellbeing of girls and women—experts from across the RRI Coalition had the opportunity to learn from diverse leaders around the world, while also raising awareness of the urgent need to recognize the rights of indigenous, rural, and community women. Here’s what participants said international audiences need to know about the challenges and opportunities facing this unique subset of women.
Bridging the gap between public funding and forest-based community enterprises
Not so long ago, these coffee producers in Bengkulu, a province on Sumatra island in Indonesia, were harvesting during the night to avoid being caught by forest rangers. Despite having lived on their lands for generations, the government considered their activities illegal. Now, the local communities proudly cultivate their coffee in the daylight—and preserve the forest at the same time. The government even provides financing to their cooperative. By supporting the community to care for and harvest from the forest, they are both supporting local livelihoods and ensuring the forest is protected.
25% of world’s surface can be better protected with rights
The GLF summit presented the first draft of a ‘gold standard’ on rights, which will define the principles of secure and proper rights to be applied by public, private and non-profit actors in the implementation of policies, business and initiatives in global landscape. “We wish to establish that the respect of our rights is non-negotiable,” said Joan Carlin of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development (IPMG), which leads the initiative together with the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI).
Participants at workshop for African land commissions launch new intergovernmental platform to scale implementation of indigenous and community land rights
Representatives from 13 governmental land agencies in Africa announced today in Antananarivo, Madagascar the launching of the Network of African Land Institutions for Community Land Rights (ALIN) to serve as a platform for exchange and mutual support to advance opportunities to secure indigenous and community land rights across the region.
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