Securing Community Forest

Rights: Progress, Slowdown, New Momentum

Andy WhiteDecember 6

Global Landscapes Forum

Sources

What Future for Reform? (RRI 2014)

Tracking the forest “tenure transition”

381.4 million ha

Forest tenure transition in LMICs2002-2013

Lands

allocated to

IP/LC on a

conditional

basis, without

the full legal

means to

secure their

rights

Communities have the

legal right to exclude

outsiders, hold rights in

perpetuity, and have

the right to due process

and just compensation

Significant increase: from 21% of forested

lands to more than 30%

Uneven progress across regions2013

19.3

50.3

16.7

9.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2002-2008 2008-2013

Decrease in area recognized by time period and tenure category, in Mha

And recognition has slowed in REDD+

countries since 2008…

No legal frameworks created since 2008 recognize ownership

Designated for IPs and communities Owned by IPs and communities

• Less area

• Fewer laws

•Weaker laws

Two constants in our future:

Growing global demand for:

1. Natural resources and infrastructure

2. Justice

Will the 3rd be Conflict?

Mixed government and corporate reactions:

1. Widespread rollback, weakened social and environmental

standards, acceleration of “land grabs”

2. Some positive court and policy decisions securing rights

3. Some major corporate commitments

4. Major commitments for new funding from some donors

Challenges and Mixed Reactions

1. Support Indigenous Peoples and local communities

to defend, demarcate, their territories

2. Support the government and corporate

commitments succeed (assistance and

accountability)

3. Scale-up the coordination/collaboration/investment

in securing community land rights

Climate Priorities

New initiatives

The Interlaken “Call to Action”

The International Land and Forest

Tenure Facility

Interlaken “Call to Action” to scale up securing community land rights

CO-CONVENORS

WORKING GROUPS/COLLABORATIVE GROUPS

Global mapping platform

Conservation

Private sector “Interlaken Group”

Next Global Workshop:

30 September –

1 October 2015

International Land and Forest Tenure Facility

Primary Function: Funding and technical support for tenure reform projects

What Makes it Different:

1. Independent, strategic, responsive, mid-size ($.2 – 2 M)

2. Direct funding to IPs and local CSOs

3. Multi-stakeholder governance: rights-holders, governments, civil

society, and investors (public and private)

Currently Underway:

1. Designing pilot projects: Indonesia, Colombia, Peru, Cameroon,

Panama

2. Advisory Group: Tebtebba, GACF, IFC, FAO, CED UN-REDD, Oxfam

3. Consultation processes with key stakeholders

4. First funding from Government of Sweden (Sida)

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