FAO shall seek to avoid involuntary resettlement in activities it supports or implements wherever possible. However, FAO may be called upon to support activities undertaken by partner organizations that could lead to involuntary resettlement of individuals or communities during responses to climate change and emergencies. Activities that lead to involuntary resettlement shall be undertaken only in exceptional circumstances. They should be carried out in accordance with the principles of the VGGT and for the purpose of promoting the general welfare. These activities will be reasonable and proportional, and a full justification will be given for them. Appropriate forms of compensation, assistance, legal protection and information will be provided to the affected individuals and communities.

Objectives 

• Avoid the adverse impacts from land or other natural resource acquisition, or restrictions on land or natural resource use, and in situations where avoidance is not possible, minimize and mitigate these impacts.
• Prohibit forced evictions. 
• Conceive and execute resettlement activities as sustainable development programmes, providing sufficient resources to enable displaced persons to benefit directly from these programmes.
• Ensure that resettlement activities are planned and implemented collaboratively with the meaningful and informed participation of those affected.
• Avoid infringing on or extinguishing tenure rights of others, including legitimate tenure rights that may not be currently protected by law (e.g. Indigenous Peoples tenure rights, customary tenure), when recognizing or allocating tenure rights to land and other natural resources.
• Enhance and restore the livelihoods and living standards of all displaced persons, and improve the living conditions and overall socio-economic status of impoverished people who have been displaced, as well as persons belonging to marginalized, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, during land expropriation, consolidation, investment, rural development programmes and land reforms.
• Recognize all land and natural resource users with a legitimate claim, including claimants who have informal or customary tenure rights.
• Provide means for the affected to voice their grievances ensuring there is a functioning mechanism in place to receive, process, resolve, communicate and record grievances.