In the five years since the Voluntary Guidelines on the responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) was endorsed, the Guidelines have inspired policy and legal reforms in countries, from Gabon to Guatemala, making a real difference to people's lives. Communities, including pastoralists, rural women, fisher folk, rural workers and indigenous peoples are already using the VGGT to claim, secure and restore their legitimate rights to land, forests and fisheries. 
 
FAO, together with relevant stakeholders and partners, and with financial support from the European Union, organized a technical thematic forum from 5 - 6 October 2017 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the VGGT. This forum was followed by a high-level event on 10 October 2017 where the outcome of the technical thematic forum was reported. Both events took place at FAO Headquarters in Rome within the framework of the 44th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). The events celebrated the importance of the VGGT and the achievements of the last five years.