As a think tank focusing on “how” to transition to sustainability, TMG Research works at the interface of questions around food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem restoration.
The evidence is clear, there can be no just transitions towards climate-resilient and land degradation-neutral landscapes without securing the legitimate land tenure rights of those who live and work on the land.
Jes Weigelt
TMG Research
TMG at UNCCD COP 15
- Events
- 4
- Publications & Articles
- 8
- Speakers
- 20+
We co-hosted four side events at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 15), which took place on 9-20 May 2022. These events explored practical entry points to empower communities that depend most on land and natural resources to claim their legitimate rights and fulfil their rightful roles as stewards of these precious resources for the benefit of people and planet. The connecting link across these events was the importance of protecting legitimate land rights to achieve the Convention's objectives of combating desertification, land degradation and drought, and scaling up ecosystem restoration.
We brought together our local, national and international partners to practically demonstrate how we initiate change processes to advance the "the governance of sustainability" at multiple levels. Our COP 15 activities highlighted insights from years of work to connect the dots between local "social innovations" - co-designed by TMG and its partners to strengthen access to land for women, youth and other marginalised groups - and land governance frameworks at the national and higher levels.
Adriano Campolina
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Alastaire Sèna Alinsato
Ministry of Planning and Development, Benin
Aurélie Brès
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Chris Kiptoo
Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya
Faith Alubbe
Kenya Land Alliance
Gabriel Ferrero de Loma-Osorio
UN Committee on World Food Security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain
Jes Weigelt
TMG Research
Juliane Wiesenhütter
GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH)
Kader Baba
TMG Research
Makhumbo Munthali
Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC)
Manitrala Rasoanaivo
Maria Ploug Petersen
Human Rights and Development, The Danish Institute for Human Rights
Mario Boccucci
UN-REDD Programme
Miriam Medel Garcia
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Secretariat
Sebastian Lesch
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Sonkita Conteh
Namati Sierra Leone
Susan Chomba
World Resources Institute
Teddie Kamoto
Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources, Malawi
Therese Arnesen
UN Human Rights Office
Violet Shivutse
Shibuye Community Health Workers
Voahangiarivelona Hanitriniaina Razafindrahanta
Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Madagascar
Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Forests and Fisheries (VGGT) on 12 May, we unveiled a comprehensive online tool, the Human Rights and Land Navigator.
The Navigator draws on an extensive database of international human rights standards and links them to individual paragraphs of the VGGT. The fundamental objective of the tool is to demonstrate the link between specific questions around access to land and resources and their human rights underpinnings. This provides practical entry points for land rights defenders, human rights bodies, and decision makers at different levels to advocate for and monitor progress on land governance instruments.
The story does not end here. We also contributed directly to land tenure negotiations, building on our partnerships with four African governments to monitor the implementation of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) projects from a human rights lens.
Parties have reiterated their intent to apply the principles of the VGGT in their national programmes to combat desertification, land degradation and drought. We will continue to support parties and work with stakeholders and broad alliances of actors to make the content of this decision a reality.
Working Paper
The Human Rights and Land Navigator: Strengthening responsible land governance
Introducing the Human Rights and Land Navigator, an online database that links the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) to binding human rights standards
Written by Ilse Pelkmans, David Betge, Elena Müller & Jes Weigelt
Published on May 11, 2022
Info Brief
Why We Need a Human Rights & Land Navigator: The Global Context
A comprehensive tool that clearly links each paragraph of the VGGT to binding human rights standards
Written by TMG Research
Published on May 09, 2022
Info Brief
Tenure Rights for Restoration and Land Degradation Neutrality
A Collaborative Effort to Advance the Implementation of UNCCD Land Tenure Decision 26/COP.14
Written by TMG Research
Published on May 09, 2022
Info Brief
Rights and Responsibilities: a land governance agenda for UNCCD COP 15
Legitimate Tenure Rights for Food Security, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Restoration - TMG Research’s approach to responsible and inclusive land governance
Written by TMG Think Tank for Sustainability
Published on May 06, 2022
Report
Responsible Land Governance in Land Degradation Neutrality Programmes: Insights from Benin and Kenya
Global Soil Week 2021 Synthesis Report
Written by Check Abdel Kader Baba, Brian Washe Kazungu, Jes Weigelt & Anna Kramer
Published on May 06, 2022