Improving Governance of Pastoral Lands

Implementing the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land,

Forests and Fisheries in the Context of National Food Security

Vivian Onyango Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Rome, Italy

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Sustainable pastoralism

• An adaptation to variability • Communal access to scarce

resources • Diversity of production;

species and products • Mobility • Dynamic customary

systems • Reciprocity and flexibility • Crucial role of women Photo credit: Benno Neeleman

VGGT Technical Guide: Improving governance of pastoral lands

Comes against a backdrop of……… • Need to capitalizing on heterogeneous and

uncertain landscapes • Increasing challenges; diminishing resources,

population growth, climate change, conflicts • Opportunities: SDG’s-no one is left behind,

Land degradation neutrality, technology • Securing livelihoods of world’s half billion

population • UNEA 2 Declaration on sustainable

pastoralism

Photo credit: Philip Briggs Photo credit: Google

Who is the technical guide designed for?

States

Courts and agencies Tenure

professionals

Academics

Communities and people

Civil society

Businesses and investors

Human rights

institutions

What are key challenges?

• Reconciling relationships between states and pastoral communities • Managing conflicting interests and claims over land and other

resources • Improving consultation and participation mechanisms for

pastoralists, recognizing them as citizens with legitimate rights • Specific legal requirements for pastoralism • Developing integrated land use planning at various scales

Improving Governance of Pastoral

Lands

Recognize local and indigenous knowledge to

ensure cultural and ecological

diversity Recognize customary

systems and strengthen

synergies with statutory systems

Strengthen capability of local organizations and

institutional space they operate in

Avoid and manage conflict

Foster collaborative

learning

Develop accountable

decision making and effective

representation

Ensure inclusive, equitable and transparent participation

Pastoral Land Policy National Legislation relevant to pastoralism

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Priority actions for stronger governance

Implementation

Broad results: • Rural development • Social sustainability • Self-determination • Environmental

sustainability • Sustainable livelihoods

Key messages

• Strengthening governance of tenure is a platform for sustainable pastoralism with social, economic and environmental benefits

• Within national law, innovative approaches adaptable to requirements of pastoralism are needed

• Continue global discourse on pastoral tenure governance e.g. IYRP • Collaborative learning between different actors • Manage rather than avoiding risk associated with strengthening

governance of pastoralist tenure

Thank you for listening!

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