ILC Reflects on Experience Since 2011 Adoption of Tirana Declaration

22 May 2015: ‘From Tirana to Dakar: A Report (2011-2015)’ highlights the achievements of the International Land Coalition (ILC) in the five years between the adoption of the Tirana Declaration in 2011 and the 2015 Land Forum in Dakar, Senegal. It notes that, while global understanding of land rights and land governance are “closer to the vision of our members,” more needs to be done to turn this vision into reality.

In her Co-Chair’s message, Rowshan Jahan Moni, Association for Land Reform and Development, Bangladesh, notes the membership of the network has not only doubled during these five years, but that ILC members are increasingly influencing change at national and international levels, making the ILC “an important reference point on questions of large-scale land deals, women’s land rights, and land governance more widely.”

The report notes that, while ILC members do not always agree, a key strength of the network is that it “provides a space where some of the most difficult land-related issues can be aired, and when agreement is reached, the outcome is all the more meaningful.” The publication highlights two key ILC agreements in this regard: the Tirana Declaration, which developed a definition of ‘land grabbing’ and developed a “clear stance” on how to tackle this issue; and the Antigua Declaration of 2013, which set out 10 commitments to action for people-centered land governance, based on the 2012 Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGTs).

In his Co-Chair’s message, Jean-Philippe Audinet, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), highlights the VGGTs as a key milestone, noting they “have set global benchmarks for more sustainable and just land management by governments for the first time.” The report further notes the VGGTs have contributed to “at least 10 National Engagement Strategy processes and have already influenced land bills in Malawi and Colombia.”

Specific ILC success stories cited in the report include: identifying four land-related indicators for the Post-2015 Development Agenda targets; ensuring the inclusion of the concept of ‘people-centered land governance’ in major policy documents, including the ‘Benchmark Guide for Land Policy in Africa’; supporting civil society members in Cambodia, Colombia and India to promote women’s access to land through publication of ‘shadow’ reports to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and intervening to resolve land-related conflicts and contribute to improved land tenure security for indigenous communities in 14 countries. Under data and knowledge sharing activities the report highlights the development of the ILC’s Land Portal, Land Matrix, and Database of Good Practices on People-Centered Land Governance, as key contributions.

The ILC Secretariat is hosted by IFAD in Rome, Italy. [Publication: From Tirana to Dakar Report – Highlights of Achievements from the Strategic Framework 2011-2015] [ILC News Story]

Source: Forests Policy & Practice