Land and Natural Resources

Primary tabs

The Endorois community clarifies priorities for land restitution and reparations, advancing implementation of the precedent-setting recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to Kenya

In 2010, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights issued unprecedented recommendations on the Endorois case, including restitution of their ancestral land, compensation for all the loss suffered, and royalties for existing economic activities on their land...

ProDESC advances rights of communal landowners and laborers in Mexico

ProDESC (Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales), and their partners, the Ejido La Platosa and the union of mineworkers Los Mineros, have achieved a significant victory with the recent recent decision by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) to divest its entire holdings in Excellon Resources Inc.

Suspend the POSCO-India project and cease all forcible acquisition of land in Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha

On July 3, 2013, ESCR-Net and the International Human Rights Clinic of New York University's School of Law sent a letter to the Cheif Minister of Odisha, India, calling for the suspension of the POSCO-India project unless and until human rights are respected and upheld.

Advancing ESCR in Mongolia and China – Lawyers, community leaders and academics gathered for strategic litigation workshops

On April 17-19, 2013, ESCR-Net and the Center for Human Rights and Development brought together lawyers, experts, and community leaders from Mongolia to enhance knowledge about the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR; build networks of solidarity and support among lawyers and activists and support Mongolian organizations to identify potential cases that could be advanced under the OP-ICESCR.

Case of the Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay

The Sawhoyamaxa Community has historically lived in the Paraguayan Chaco. In 1991, the Community started a domestic claim to regain its lands after being forced to leave them. On May 15th, 2001, ESCR-Net Member, Tierraviva, submitted a petition to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. The Commission referred the case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on February 3rd, 2005.

Seeding Hope: Land in the International Human Rights Agenda

The working paper, “Seeding Hope? Land in the International Human Rights Agenda: Challenges and Prospects” builds on the work of many members to promote a stronger international recognition of human rights issues related to land, and to elevate the perspectives and demands of social movements in human rights advocacy relating to issues of land and territory..

Developed thanks to the collective work of ESCR-Net Members

India: Imminent threats of forcible evictions and violence in Odisha

On January 25, 2013, ESCR-Net sent an urgent appeal to the Government of India, the POSCO corporation and the Government of Korea to express serious converns about plans by the Indian authorities to proceed with the forced eviction in Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha to facilitate the construction of the POSCO steel plant, as well as imminent threats against human rights defenders in the area who have mobilized to protect their lands.

Restituting the land to the Endorois People: a 40-year process

In November 2012, members of the Adjudication Working Group at ESCR-Net —including the Centre for Minority Rights Development (Kenya), Minority Rights Group (UK), Socio-Economic Rights Institute (South Africa), and Norwegian Center for Human Rights (Norway)—facilitated a strategic meeting with leaders of the Endorois community in Kenya, focused on advancing full implementation of the unprecedented recommendations issued by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights regarding evictions in the Endorois case.

Pueblo Indígena Kichwa de Sarayaku vs. Ecuador

The Sarayaku people form one of the oldest settlements of the Kichwa People in the province of Pastaza in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and include approximately 1,300 people. In 1996, Ecuador signed a contract with the Empresa Estatal de Petróleos del Ecuador (PETROECUADOR) and a group formed with CGC (Compañía General de Combustibles, a subsidiary of Chevron, in Argentina) and la Petrolera Ecuador San Jorge S.A. for oil exploration and exploitation in Sarayaku lands.

Oct. 16th, 2012: Social movements claim the right to food and food sovereignty

The 16^th of October is World Food Day, celebrated around the world as a means to promote effective approaches to ending hunger. However, with nearly one billion of people suffering from hunger, World Food Day also marks another year of serious violations of the right to food.