The Preamble Respect for human rights, including the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, is key to the realization of sustainable and productive landscapes for all.

The corresponding rights and obligations must be given effect without discrimination, and with prompt, fair and effective remedies provided, recognizing that due to specific conditions, characteristics and needs, certain persons or groups have distinct and specific sets of rights. Building on the rights affirmed in international human rights instruments and the aspirations of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afrodescendant Peoples, and those of women and youth within these groups, the following Standard was developed to ensure that all programs, projects and initiatives in landscapes are undertaken in equal partnership and solidarity with the aforementioned rightsholders, taking into account and respecting their distinct and differentiated rights, including their autonomy, priorities and cosmovisions.

Advancing this Standard will enable and encourage the development of innovative collective responses and solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, other forms of environmental harm and sustainable development. To ensure consistency with developments in international human rights law, emerging best practices and the very aspirations of the undersigned Indigenous, local community, and Afro-descendant constituencies, the Principles outlined herein will be periodically reviewed and updated, as appropriate and applicable.

A woman tends a fire in a village in Honduras
Two women collect medicine from a tree in Sumatra, Indonesia

The Principles

1

To acknowledge, respect and protect all land, territorial, waters, coastal seas and resource rights

2

To promote effective legal recognition

3

To plan, implement and monitor all landscape-level projects, programs and initiatives in full collaboration

4

To respect rights to cultural heritage and traditional knowledge

5

To respect the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples

6

To ensure that the terms of partnerships and agreements are fully implemented in good faith

7

To provide effective grievance and redress mechanisms

8

To advance and facilitate the realization of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community women’s equal rights

9

To respect, promote and protect fundamental rights and freedoms

10

To promote the adoption of these Land Rights Standard Principles

Download the Land Rights Standard

Land is the backbone of life, necessary for everything else to thrive, in terms of how we exercise our freedom and our responsibility and how life thrives on the land. It’s the source, or the beginning, of everything for us. Land is the fundamental core issue of everything.”

Gam Shimray, Secretary-General of Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)