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The document outlines a three-phase framework for governments to manage artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Phase 1 focuses on preparation, including forming a working group, establishing stakeholder consultation forums, and conducting context analysis. Phase 2 details the creation of a national ASM vision and the development of tailored management strategies based on the type of mining operation, utilizing both economic and impact-based approaches. Phase 3 covers the practical implementation, including legislative updates, the establishment of ASM zones, and the creation of monitoring and evaluation systems. The guide emphasizes the integration of informal ASM into legal and economic systems while reducing social and environmental harms.

The report examines how foreign agricultural investments interact with gender inequalities across five dimensions: land rights, productive resources, household labour, employment, and decision making. It compares five Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and five Responsible Investment Frameworks, finding that while VSS focus more on employment conditions, responsible investment frameworks are stronger on land rights. Evidence suggests that VSS often fail to improve women's land ownership and can inadvertently increase women's unpaid labour burdens. The author recommends that investors and host governments adopt explicit gender strategies, ensure women's participation in negotiations, and monitor gender-disaggregated data to prevent the reproduction of local gender inequalities.

The document analyzes the political economy of coal extraction in Colombia, noting that while production grew from 38 Mt in 2000 to 88.6 Mt in 2015, the sector now faces declining global demand and increasing domestic resistance. It details how opponents—including indigenous groups and municipal governments—have shifted from protests to using judicial mechanisms like the 'acción de tutela' and popular consultations to challenge mining titles. In response, the Colombian government and companies (such as Cerrejón and Drummond) have adopted new narratives, linking extraction to peace-building, increasing corporate social responsibility investments, and forming unified business associations like the Asociación Colombiana de Minería. The brief concludes that the sector's historically weak governance has become a liability, and a transition away from coal will require separating the mining sector from oil and gas in public discourse and developing alternative socio-economic pathways.

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 document assesses the dual nature of large-scale agricultural investments, noting that while they can create employment and market opportunities, they often lead to water depletion, land tenure insecurity, and disproportionate burdens on women. It highlights that water demand for irrigation in investment areas can rise by 50% and that weak institutional enforcement often fails to protect local communities. The author advocates for a 'social tenure model' and the use of specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to frame investment design to ensure sustainability and inclusivity.

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 is a joint statement condemning the execution-style murder of Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima, an assistant to the Guatemalan Centre for Legal, Environmental and Social Action (CALAS). The signatories argue that this killing is part of a broader pattern of escalating violence against land and environment defenders in Guatemala and Latin America, specifically highlighting risks associated with Canadian-owned mining projects. They call for a full investigation into the murder and urge the Canadian government to ensure access to justice and respect for community decisions regarding large-scale mining.

This report examines the historical and systemic issues of land tenure in rural Brazil, highlighting how irregular property rights, fragmented registration systems, and the lack of a unified cartographic base contribute to social conflict, illegal deforestation, and challenges in implementing the Forest Code.

The report finds that public finance for REDD+ objectives in Côte d’Ivoire is severely insufficient, with 2015 investments of FCFA 16.8 billion representing a small fraction of the estimated FCFA 173 billion annual need for the 2030 forest cover target. A significant amount of public funding (FCFA 84.2 billion) is classified as 'grey finance'—agricultural intensification that lacks safeguards and may drive deforestation. The analysis highlights critical gaps in national planning, underfunding of land-use planning and land tenure, and institutional weaknesses in agencies like SODEFOR. It argues that 'greening' existing agricultural finance and creating a National REDD+ Fund could significantly increase aligned investment.

Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) condemns a report by the FMO regarding the Agua Zarca project in Honduras, stating it seeks to discredit community resistance and legitimize the imposition of hydroelectric megaprojects. The statement links the violence against indigenous leaders, including Berta Cáceres, and peasant organizations to unequal trade treaties with Europe and the US, and calls on the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain to cease financing projects that violate human rights in Latin America.

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.

The 2016 NYDF Progress Assessment indicates a complex trend where annual net forest loss is declining, but gross tree cover loss remains steady or increasing. While corporate commitments to deforestation-free supply chains are growing, particularly for palm oil and wood, cattle and soy remain under-addressed. Restoration pledges under the Bonn Challenge and UNFCCC have increased significantly, and the Paris Agreement has formally integrated land-use and REDD+ into global climate mitigation. However, financial disbursements for results-based payments lag behind pledges, and forest governance remains a critical challenge, evidenced by a record number of killings of land and environment defenders in 2015.

The statement by Amigos de la Tierra de América Latina y el Caribe (ATALC) denounces the killings of José Ángel Flores and Silmer Dionisio George in Honduras. It attributes this violence to a 'state of exception' characterized by extreme militarization and the influence of transnational capital and international trade treaties that promote monocultures for biofuels, bananas, and sugar cane, leading to the criminalization of human rights and environmental defenders.

The statement condemns the murders of José Angel Flores and Silmer Dionisio George in Honduras, attributing the violence to a context of extreme militarization and economic policies that prioritize capital accumulation over human rights.

The report identifies systemic failures in African land administration, including the fact that only about 10 percent of land is legally documented. It argues that securing tenure through a combination of community land registration in land-abundant areas and individual titling in land-constrained areas is essential for investment. The text highlights the need to integrate customary tenure into statutory law and eliminate market restrictions to improve access for women, youth, and the land-poor, while warning against 'land grabs' resulting from weak governance.

The report argues that Brazil's insecure land rights hinder economic growth and environmental protection, specifically in rural areas where agriculture is a key GDP driver. It identifies five urgent consequences of this insecurity: land-related conflicts and violence, a lack of tenancy markets, increased deforestation, unconventional land use decisions, and production inequality for small farms. The document further outlines systemic governance challenges, including institutional complexity, limitations of the Land Registry, and the absence of an integrated database for public and private land.

The report argues that Brazil's insecure land rights lead to significant rural conflicts, deforestation, and economic inefficiencies. It highlights a systemic failure in land governance characterized by institutional complexity, unreliable registries, and the absence of an integrated database for public and private lands. These issues are exacerbated by the 'social function of property' requirement, which can incentivize land clearing to prove productivity and legitimize illegal land grabbing (grilagem).

The report argues that Brazil lags globally in property rights protection, leading to severe consequences including land-related violence, deforestation, and inefficient land use. It highlights a systemic failure in land governance characterized by institutional complexity, unreliable registration systems, and the absence of an integrated database for public and private lands. The document specifically notes that insecurity encourages deforestation as a means to prove land productivity to avoid expropriation and suppresses the land rental market due to legal and social distrust.

The document establishes a framework of 14 conservation standards to prevent human rights abuses during site-based conservation interventions. It argues that while states are primary duty bearers, non-state actors—including NGOs and philanthropic foundations—have a 'responsibility to respect' human rights. The standards are divided into rights most likely to be directly infringed (such as self-determination, free, prior and informed consent, and land rights) and those indirectly infringed (such as education and non-discriminatory employment). The authors emphasize that these standards should serve as minimum requirements for all conservation activities to avoid forced evictions, cultural deterioration, and the marginalization of indigenous governance systems.

The document examines the shift in Southern Africa from centralized conservation to community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). It analyzes various institutional models—such as conservancies, community-based organisations (CBOs), and private game reserves—evaluating their success in balancing biodiversity conservation with rural livelihood improvement. Using Namibia and Botswana as primary case studies, the paper highlights the critical role of secure devolution of rights, transparent governance, and the need to diversify income streams beyond wildlife tourism to ensure long-term sustainability and community stewardship.