FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

helping to build a world without hunger

Inter-Agency Meeting, Nov 2007, WB, Washington DC

Code/Voluntary Guidelines for Good Governance in Land Tenure

Mika-Petteri Törhönen, Land Tenure and Management Unit of FAO

FAO Point of View

Secure Access to Land is a Crucial Factor in the Eradication of Food Insecurity and Poverty

• Weak land governance can undermine all development

• Weak land governance affects mainly the poor - vulnerable

FAO on Governance

1. Good governance in land administration (Brochure with WB)

2. Good governance in land tenure and administration (Guidelines with you)

3. Land Governance (Policy paper with UN-HABITAT)

4. Next step? (Member Countries? CSOs?)

FAO Instruments; Codes of Conduct/Voluntary Guidelines

• Political initiatives with global attention.

• Raise awareness in the highest levels of governments.

• Voluntary in nature.• Do not create legally binding

obligations cover more areas. • Principles, standards, obligations

and strategic actions.• Associated technical advice.

Past and On-Going Codes/Guidelines

• Codes of Conduct for:– Codex Alimentarius– Responsible Fisheries– the Distribution and Use of

Pesticides

• Voluntary guidelines:– to support the progressive

realization of the right to adequate food

– on (Forest) Fire management

Codex Alimentarius; Food Code

• The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO.

• The commission still operates to protect health of the consumers and ensuring fair food trade and food standards.

• Currently oversees hundreds of international food standards and their implementation.

http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp

Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides

• The worldwide guidance document on pesticide management; adopted for the first time1985 by the FAO Conference.

• The Code and supplementary technical guidelines have been instrumental in assisting countries to put in place pesticide management systems.

http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/code/PM_Code.htm

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

• Provides a framework for efforts to ensure sustainable exploitation of aquatic living resources; adopted 1995 by the FAO Conference.

• FAO continues to host a large Code implementation programme.

http://www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=org&xml=CCRF_prog.xml&xp_nav=1

Voluntary Guidelines to the Right to Adequate Food

• Provides practical guidance to States for the progressive realization of the right to adequate food; adopted 2004 by the FAO Council.

• The Voluntary Guidelines represent the first attempt by governments to interpret an economic, social and cultural right and to recommend actions to be undertaken for its realization.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/009/y9825e/y9825e00.htm

Fire managementVoluntary guidelines/Strategy

• Guidelines on the prevention, suppression and recovery from forest fire; presented 2007 at the FAO Committee for Forestry.

• Process on-going building partnerships for implementation to translate the strategy and the voluntary guidelines into policies and practices.

http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/firemanagement/en/

Code/Voluntary Guidelines for Good Governance in Land Tenure

• Objective: To assist countries and their institutions to improve the governance of land tenure and its administration as a means to alleviating hunger and poverty, enhancing the environment, supporting national and local economic development, and reforming public administration.

Code/Voluntary Guidelines for Good Governance in Land Tenure

• Output: A code of conduct/voluntary guidelines that support the efforts of countries to improve the standard of behaviour pertaining to land tenure and its administration.

Methodology

• Draws on FAO experience with Codes.

• Technical assistance/partnerships with countries.

• Participation of governments, civil society, and professional associations.

• Linkages with other development initiatives.

• Approved by FAO member countries, as well as by other interested parties.

Schedule; funding

• Starts 2008 with FAO programme funding.

• Looks for partnerships with countries and international agencies trust fund project.

• Optimistic schedule for completion:– 5 years.

• Implementation programme to follow up:– 10+ years?

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

helping to build a world without hunger

Thank You!