Les Directives pour la Gouvernance Responsable des régimes fonciers à la croisée des chemins

This international statement, published by Friends of the Earth International and signed by various social movements and civil society organizations, criticizes the emergence of operational guides that adapt the UN's Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) for the benefit of private investors and corporations. The authors argue that these guides shift the focus from human rights to commercial risk management, inappropriately transfer state governance responsibilities to private actors, and promote a false parity between corporations and marginalized communities.

• The authors argue that several operational guides developed by entities such as USAID, the G7 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in Africa, and the Interlaken Group distort the VGGT by treating natural resources as commercial assets rather than human rights issues. These guides are criticized for focusing on reducing economic and financial risks for investors to gain a "avantageS competitive advantage" rather than protecting the rights of vulnerable and marginalized populations.
• The statement claims that current guides erroneously apply a "multi-stakeholder" approach that equates the roles of states and private companies. The authors assert that this approach ignores the fact that states have a public mandate and accountability to the people, whereas companies represent private interests and lack the legitimacy to perform public governance functions.
• The document warns that guides suggest private investors can handle sensitive state duties, such as identifying legitimate land rights through "participatory stakeholder mapping" or managing conflict resolution via "grievance procedures." The authors argue this creates a conflict of interest, as investors cannot impartially recognize rights to land they seek to control, nor can they replace the state's obligation to provide access to impartial judicial systems.
• The authors reject the notion that private land acquisitions are inherently positive for local communities or that a partnership of equals exists between corporations and communities. They argue that such "partnerships" often lead to dependency through contract farming and subcontracting, reducing small-scale food producers to cheap labor within corporate supply chains.
• The statement calls on states to implement the VGGT by prioritizing the needs of marginalized communities over corporate interests. Specific demands include adopting laws to cap large-scale land transactions, ensuring Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), conducting independent impact assessments, and criminally prosecuting corporate crimes against human rights.
• The signatories urge the FAO to provide technical support that helps states regulate companies according to human rights obligations, rather than facilitating private investment. They also call for a robust monitoring mechanism within the Committee on World Food Security (CSA) and the adoption of a legally binding international instrument on multinational corporations and human rights at the UN Human Rights Council.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2015). Les Directives pour la Gouvernance Responsable des régimes fonciers à la croisée des chemins. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2015-TG-Statement_final_FR_151216.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Les Directives pour la Gouvernance Responsable des régimes fonciers à la croisée des chemins. 2015. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2015-TG-Statement_final_FR_151216.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Les Directives pour la Gouvernance Responsable des régimes fonciers à la croisée des chemins |date=10 December 2015 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2015-TG-Statement_final_FR_151216.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2015les, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Les Directives pour la Gouvernance Responsable des régimes fonciers à la croisée des chemins}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2015-TG-Statement_final_FR_151216.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }