Source: ILC

Land governance for inclusive development, justice and sustainability: time for action.

Save the date!

The International Land Coalition (ILC) is pleased to announce the 2015 Global Land Forum, to be held in Dakar, Senegal 11-17 May. It will be co-organised with the Pan African Institute for Consumer Citizenship and Development (CICODEV Africa) in partnership with civil society members of Cadre de Recherche et d’Action sur le Foncier au Sénégal (CRAFS) and multilateral organisations, under the theme Land governance for inclusive development, justice and sustainability: time for action.

The event will bring together hundreds of practitioners, land-users, activists, policy makers, and researchers from around the world. We will debate, share, learn, and plan joint action towards people-centred land governance that is instrumental to poverty reduction, appropriate food systems, environmental sustainability and human well-being and dignity.

What is the Global Land Forum?

Every two years, ILC organises a Global Land Forum for its members, partners and other land-concerned actors to share perspectives on global trends and their own work as it affects the governance of land and the lives of the people who depend on this resource. The Forum is an open event and is held back-to-back with ILC’s Assembly of Members.

The Dakar Global Land Forum follows Antigua, Guatemala (2013), Tirana, Albania (2011), Kathmandu, Nepal (2009), Entebbe, Uganda (2007), and la Paz, Bolivia (2005).

The 2015 Global Land Forum will take place in the same year that the UN General Assembly commits to a new comprehensive sustainable development agenda, in which land and natural resources are likely to feature prominently. It will offer a unique platform for considering the practical implications of such global commitments, and in particular how those concerned can link up their efforts to better bring about this change.

The Theme

Land governance for inclusive development, justice and sustainability: time for actionstresses the centrality of land and natural resource rights to our vision of building a better world in the post-2015 era. It focuses on the progress achieved in benchmarking good land governance globally and in Africa, but also on the continued need to critically examine the benchmarks and improve them where possible. Furthermore, it emphasises the challenge of now translating them into reality.

Participants will hear challenging perspectives and debates in plenary, but will also be able to lead or participate in a wide variety of workshops on topics linked to the theme and to share innovation through the Marketplace of Ideas. There will be plenty of opportunities for interaction.

The Forum will start with the Africa Day, turning a spotlight on land governance in Senegal and the region. The second and third days will have a global scope. On the fourth day, a selection of field trips will be offered. ILC Members will remain for their Assembly on the fifth day.

Why Africa?

There is no better place than Africa to reflect on land governance issues and challenges in today’s context. Africa is the primary target in the current search for fertile lands to respond to increasing global demand for food and fuel crops. The continent is experiencing rapid demographic expansion, expected to exceed 2 billion people by 2050. It is also host of rapid urbanisation and fast-growing economies. It needs its land and natural resources to feed itself, combat poverty and support its economic ambitions, as well as meet the diverse present and future needs of local communities. In recent years, Africa is the continent that has made the most notable progress in inter-state collaboration by setting standards on land governance, as epitomised by the Framework and Guidelines on Land policy of the African Union, and the establishment of the Africa Land Policy Initiative. It also has systems of customary land tenure, which in some cases are still solid and can be adapted to the changing contexts.

The land management and governance decisions made now and to be made by Africans in the coming decade will have important repercussions on the future of the continent and globally.

Getting involved

Proposals for workshops at the Global Land Forum, open to members and non-members of ILC, will be solicited in October 2014. Registration for participants will be opened in early 2015. For questions or requests write to dakar2015@landcoalition.org