2021 progress towards the SDG land rights commitments

In 2015 we celebrated world leaders’ recognition of the foundational and strategic role that secure land rights for all –women and men, regardless ofethnicity, religion, place of residence, or civil, economic, social, or political status—must play to achieve a world free of poverty, hunger and systemic gender discrimination.

Yet by 2020, Member States’ ambitious commitments had not been followed with the necessary actions on the ground. Our five-year review found some promising steps: some countries had localized these commitments into their national plans, allocated new resources, or advanced ambitious reforms. However, the majority had not prioritized land rights in their development agendas or undertaken significant action.

With only a few days to go before Member States reconvene for the 2022 High Level Political Forum, it is worth updating our review. What can we learn from the information submitted through the SDG reporting mechanisms in 2021? What have countries done to address their ambitious but critical cross-cutting commitments to ensure secure land rights for all, particularly for the poor, the vulnerable and the small producers, and to eradicate gender differences in these rights?