The Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the context of National Food Security has been approved by the 38th Session of the Committee on World Food Security. This video explains the three year process involved in preparing the Voluntary Guidelines, the significance of this endorsement, and next steps.

On 11 May 2012 the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) officially endorsed the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. Voluntary Guidelines on the governance of tenure were prepared through intergovernmental negotiations. They set out principles and internationally accepted standards for responsible practices.

In this issue of the NR Newsletter, we welcome 2012 as the UN-declared International Year of Energy for All, an opportunity to concentrate global attention on the challenges facing both developed and developing countries when addressing access to and efficient use of sustainable energy sources. We also take a look at an interesting land tenure project that aims to bring advanced technology land registration systems to developing countries, through low-cost open-source software. And finally, we review lessons learned and major achievements of a successful transboundary water management project in the Nile Basin.