Synthesis Report on Civil Society experiences regarding use and implementation of the Tenure Guidelines and the challenge of monitoring CFS decisions

This synthesis report summarizes the results of a broad consultation among small-scale food producers and other civil society organizations (CSOs) around the globe on the use and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests. It is a contribution from the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) to the Global Thematic Event on the Guidelines held during the 43rd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). This Global Thematic Event is the first one held to share experiences in applying CFS decisions and recommendations, as a contribution to the CFS’ monitoring function. As such, it constitutes an important step towards promoting accountability in the CFS as the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform on food security and nutrition. Approved in May 2012, the Tenure Guidelines were developed in a long and inclusive process of consultations and negotiations, and are an unprecedented international agreement on the governance of tenure based on human rights.

The report shows that social movements of small-scale food producers and indigenous peoples have incorporated the Tenure Guidelines into their struggles and have transformed them into a tool to assert their rights over natural resources. However, while important achievements have been made in several countries, important challenges remain in order to achieve the paramount objective of the Guidelines, which consists in contributing to the realization of the human right to food and nutrition by improving the governance of tenure for the benefit of vulnerable and marginalized people and communities. States and intergovernmental bodies have to implement them in line with their human rights obligations and the report makes some concrete recommendations in this regard.

FAO Headquarters, Rome/Italy

Published October 2016