Georgetown, June 12, 2013. Around 80 participants from the Caribbean region, including government, civil society, academia and private sector representatives, will meet in Georgetown, Guyana June 19-21, 2013, to discuss and analyze the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. Participants will explore the potential for implementing the Voluntary Guidelines at the regional and national levels; identify priority actions and ways to improve governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests; and promote links with existing initiatives to create regional and national networks. The meeting is being facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It is being hosted by the Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Environment.

What are the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure?

The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (Voluntary Guidelines) represent an unprecedented international agreement on the governance of tenure, which places secure access to land, fisheries and forests firmly in the context of food security. They were officially endorsed by CFS at its Thirty-eighth (Special) Session on May 11, 2012.

The Guidelines are based on an inclusive, transparent consultation process started by FAO and finalized through intergovernmental negotiations led by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). The process involved representatives from UN member states, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and international organizations.

The Voluntary Guidelines promote food security and sustainable development through improved, transparent, equitable, secure access to and control over land, fisheries and forests, and by protecting the legitimate tenure rights, whether formal or informal, of millions of people, many of whom are poor and food insecure.They set out principles and internationally accepted standards for responsible practices. They are voluntary and do not establish legally binding obligations nor replace existing laws, treaties and agreements. Instead, they provide a framework that States can use when developing their own strategies, policies, legislation and programmes.

The Guidelines also provide stakeholders with their own context-specific answers to essential questions related to tenure rights and responsibilities. These include legal recognition, allocation and transfers of rights and other changes in tenure, such as restitution, redistributive reforms, expropriation and compensation. They also provide guidance on the recording of tenure rights, their valuation and taxation, and the resolution of disputes including trans-boundary measures.

Global recognition/high level endorsement

Director-General of FAO, José Graziano da Silva, signaled the end of the formal negotiation process as a milestone achievement for the first comprehensive global instrument on tenure to be prepared through intergovernmental negotiations. The endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines by CFS in May 2012 was also covered by numerous news agencies around the world. This has been followed by further global recognition by a wide variety of international bodies and other organizations, including:

• Endorsement by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) in December 2012, followed by UNGA's request of all relevant UN bodies to ensure the speedy dissemination and promotion of the Guidelines.
• A call to action and implementation among Ministers from 80 countries gathered at the 5th Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Summit held January 2013. Ministers were requested to confirm their intention to implement the Voluntary Guidelines in accordance with national priorities. Business enterprises were also urged to comply with the Guidelines domestically and abroad.
• Specific reference of the Voluntary Guidelines in the reports of recent G8, G20, Rio+20 and UN agency meetings.
• Engagement of the francophone parliamentarians of 57 countries to support the Voluntary Guidelines.
• Endorsement by FAO Council as an FAO priority, and mainstreaming into the FAO strategic objectives and all relevant work.

What is tenure and why is governance of tenure important?

Millions of people depend on farmland and rangeland, fishing waters and forests for their livelihoods, and as a basis for social, cultural and religious practices. Secure and equitable access to natural resources is key for sustainable development.

The eradication of hunger and poverty, and the sustainable use of the environment, depend in large measure on how people, communities and others gain access to land, fisheries and forests. Access to natural resources is defined and regulated by tenure systems. The governance of tenure is therefore a crucial element in determining if and how people, communities and others are able to acquire access and rights to use and control land, fisheries and forests.

Population growth, urbanization, changing diets and an increased demand for energy have led to increased competition for natural resources. This increasingly dynamic world provides great opportunities, but also brings with it an increased risk of negative and unsustainable impacts, thus raising the need for responsible management of those natural resources.

It is therefore crucial to establish and maintain governance mechanisms and processes that articulate the interests of citizens, resolve differences and ensure the exercise of rights and duties with regard to land, fisheries and forests. The Voluntary Guidelines will help governments and other stakeholders to implement mechanisms and processes that will ensure food security for millions of people, improve livelihoods, strengthen social and economic development and promote the sustainable use of the environment.