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The report finds that improvements in forest governance are too slow to measurably reduce deforestation, with rampant corruption and illegal land conversion persisting. While some progress has been made in transparency and demand-side timber regulations, significant gaps remain in recognizing the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). The document highlights a dangerous increase in violence and criminalization of land defenders and argues that secure tenure for IPLCs is more effective for forest protection than state-managed protected areas.

The document finds that while some countries have improved their legal frameworks to combat deforestation, implementation remains weak due to corruption, lack of resources, and a failure to recognize the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). It highlights a strong correlation between high corruption and forest loss, and notes that illegal conversion for commercial agriculture—specifically palm oil, soy, paper/timber, and cattle—drives much tropical deforestation. While demand-side measures for timber are increasing in the EU, US, and Asia, similar measures for other commodities remain largely voluntary. The report also emphasizes the critical role of IPLCs in carbon storage, noting they manage 17% of total carbon in 64 assessed countries, yet face increasing violence and land grabbing due to insecure tenure.

The report finds that while some countries have strengthened forest laws, implementation remains slow and often undermined by corruption and a lack of political will. Illegal deforestation is driven largely by commercial agriculture, particularly in Brazil and Indonesia. Progress in recognizing the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) is slow, and these groups face increasing violence and criminalization. While some emerging economies in Asia are adopting regulations to curb illegal timber imports, overall forest governance remains fragile, particularly in poorer nations.

CIEL argues that IDB Invest's Access to Information Policy must be rooted in democratic principles and international law to protect affected communities and environmental defenders. Key recommendations include eliminating fees for information requests, extending the disclosure window for environmental and social documents to 120 days before Board approval, and ensuring the policy aligns with the Escazú Agreement. CIEL also emphasizes the need for robust protections for indigenous peoples' free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and the safety of environmental human rights defenders in the region.

This practitioner's guide outlines a nine-step process for conducting local stakeholder consultations in climate mitigation projects. It emphasizes the necessity of meaningful public participation to avoid adverse impacts such as population displacement or resource privatization. The guide integrates international standards, including the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for indigenous peoples, and provides checklists to validate that consultations are inclusive, transparent, and proportional to the project's impact.

The document outlines a nine-step process for stakeholder consultation in climate mitigation actions, emphasizing the need to move beyond 'top-down' approaches to avoid adverse impacts like population displacement. It integrates international standards, including the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) for indigenous peoples, and provides checklists for project developers to verify that consultations are inclusive, transparent, and accountable. The guide is designed for policy-makers, investors, and developers, drawing on lessons from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The document outlines a nine-step process for conducting effective stakeholder consultations for climate mitigation actions, emphasizing the protection of human rights and the necessity of free, prior, and informed consent for indigenous peoples. It provides a checklist for project promoters to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

The document argues that the proposed amendments to the Land Value Index Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018, risk further marginalizing vulnerable groups by reducing compensation protections, limiting judicial oversight, and removing requirements for free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Natural Justice advocates for stricter definitions of prompt payment, the inclusion of the National Land Commission in index development, and the retention of legal safeguards to ensure livelihood restoration for displaced persons.

The document identifies five critical areas for legal reform to prevent illegal forest conversion: land allocation, clearance permits, conversion timber rules, environmental protections, and community rights. It highlights how contradictory laws, lack of transparency, and failure to recognize customary land tenure lead to uncontrolled deforestation and social conflict. The toolkit uses case studies from nine tropical countries to illustrate legal gaps and provides checklists for policy-makers to ensure comprehensive and enforceable regulations.

The document argues that formal legal recognition of customary land tenure and the inclusion of local communities in decision-making are essential for protecting both forest ecosystems and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. It identifies key legal barriers—such as complex registration processes and a lack of implementing legislation—that lead to risks of eviction, land disputes, and land scarcity. The factsheet advocates for the integration of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) into national laws and provides a checklist of questions to guide law-makers through legal reform.

The document describes Canada's use of Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs) to protect Indigenous rights and promote employment in the mining sector. It highlights the Voisey’s Bay nickel mine in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the Joint Education and Training Authority (JETA)—funded by a CAD 25 million federal initiative—trained over 1,000 Innu and Inuit people. By November 2016, Innu and Inuit peoples constituted approximately 55 per cent of the mine's workforce, with 90 per cent of those employees coming from adjacent communities.

CIEL argues that the World Bank's Draft Guidance Notes for the ESF are 'severely lacking in substance' and often merely reiterate standards without providing actual implementation guidance. The submission provides specific recommendations across several standards, including labor conditions, pollution prevention, indigenous peoples' rights, and stakeholder engagement. Key demands include the integration of international conventions (such as ILO 169 and UNDRIP), the adoption of a 1.5-degree pathway for greenhouse gas accounting, and the explicit protection of human rights defenders against reprisals. CIEL also emphasizes that the World Bank must ensure Borrowers disclose the existence of the Inspection Panel to affected communities and that project-level grievance mechanisms must be independent, transparent, and rights-compatible.

The document is a draft proposal for a 'Treaty on Transnational Corporations and their Value Chain on Human Rights,' submitted by a global campaign to the UN Human Rights Council. It argues that the globalization of the economy has created power asymmetries that allow TNCs to violate human rights with impunity, particularly in the Global South. The proposed treaty establishes direct legal obligations for TNCs and their executives, mandates states to protect human rights through territorial and extraterritorial legislation, and proposes the creation of an International Court on Transnational Corporations and an International Monitoring Centre. It emphasizes the primacy of human rights law over trade and investment agreements and demands the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples and affected communities to free, prior, and informed consent.

The GCF evaluated its gender policy, finding it more effective in programmatic operations than institutional ones. It proposes transitioning to a 'Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Policy and Action Plan' to broaden its scope beyond women to include other marginalized groups. Key updates include making Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) plans mandatory for all projects, adopting a human rights-based approach, and implementing Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols.

The report reveals a systemic imbalance where community land formalization is burdensome, costly, and slow, while company land acquisition is relatively fast and flexible. It argues that this 'uneven playing field' threatens the livelihoods of 2.5 billion people and increases environmental risks, recommending reforms to make community procedures more accessible and transparent.

The report examines the use of community protocols in four countries to address the impacts of extractive industries. It finds that while the processes are time-consuming and context-dependent, they can empower communities through legal training, the formation of advocacy groups, and the creation of frameworks for free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). The report highlights that early engagement is generally more effective, though protocols can still yield results during active mining operations, as seen in Zimbabwe. Key challenges include internal community conflicts, power imbalances with corporations, and the need for strong local partnerships to ensure community ownership.

The document identifies six key risks in Liberia's forest conversion laws, including land use conflicts and community dispossession, and suggests reforms such as passing the Land Rights Bill and implementing multi-stakeholder land use planning.

An open letter from 80 organizations requests the withdrawal of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The authors argue that the project violates international human rights standards and Panamanian law, specifically regarding the right to free, prior and informed consent of the Ngäbe indigenous people, whose lands and sacred sites are being flooded.

The document argues that poor environmental governance by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) leads to systemic violations of environmental rights in South Africa's mining sector. It highlights severe impacts on water resources, including acid mine drainage and the depletion of aquifers, and notes the destruction of strategic water source areas (SWSAs). The CER identifies critical failures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, citing insufficient timeframes for public participation and a lack of independence among practitioners. It recommends transferring environmental regulation of mines from the DMR to environmental authorities, implementing free prior and informed consent (FPIC) for communities, and establishing 'no-go' areas for mining in ecologically sensitive zones.

Carbon Market Watch urges the CDM Executive Board to establish a grievance mechanism to align with the Cancun and Paris Agreements and to improve the sustainable development co-benefits tool by allowing direct stakeholder input. The submission also advocates for local stakeholder consultation guidelines for Designated National Authorities (DNAs) to be based on international human rights law and the principle of free, prior and informed consent.