DUSHANBE, November 25, Asia-Plus — The livelihoods of many in Tajikistan depend on secure and equitable access to land, forestry, fisheries and natural resources.
A two-day FAO workshop opening here tomorrow will help raise awareness of
The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure
, which constitute the first-ever global consensus on what it means to improve the conditions under which land and other resources are owned and managed.
The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security
promote secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests as a means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the environment. They were officially endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security on May 11, 2012. Since then implementation has been encouraged by G20, Rio+ 20, United Nations General Assembly and Francophone Assembly of Parliamentarians.
According to FAO Country Office in Tajikistan, the workshop will bring together a wide range of people and organizations involved in tenure issues in Tajikistan – government personnel, academia, the private sector, civil society organizations, and regional and international organizations.
“Participants will discuss and analyze challenges and opportunities for improved tenure governance in the country, and look for ways in which already existing initiatives can be mutually supporting,” – said Viorel Gutu, FAO Representative in Tajikistan.
“By linking existing initiatives and creating a network of actors across disciplines to share information, experience and knowledge,” said Morten Hartvigsen, FAO land tenure officer, “this workshop will help ensure that new networks are created and existing ones strengthened, and in the process improve governance of land, fisheries and forestry in Tajikistan.”
Workshop participants will share experiences and case studies, and identify follow-up steps for actions for putting the Voluntary Guidelines into action in Tajikistan.
The event is organized by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Tajikistan. It is one in a series of workshops taking place in Europe and Central Asia this autumn – in Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, and Tajikistan.
