Indigenous Peoples and other communities with customary tenure systems, enjoy recognitions of their legitimate tenure rights under the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, as well as in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the United Nations Declaration of the Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. This legal brief provides a summary of the main legal and policy issues that States should consider when taking actions to ensure the recognition, protection and safeguarding of customary tenure rights. It describes customary tenure systems, provides advice on the substance and processes of recognizing and protecting customary tenure rights. It also discusses some of the main threats to customary tenure rights holders and suggests how governments might best address these threats.