26-28 January 2026
Building a Shared Vision for Sustainable Rangelands and Pastoral Communities in the Near East and North Africa Conference
This is what we're asking
- Pastoralists in NENA sustain fragile rangelands, biodiversity, and food systems through mobility and traditional practices
- Strengthening governance and legal recognition in NENA is essential to protect pastoral rights, Indigenous knowledge, and mobility while integrating pastoral voices in land and water management
- Filling data gaps on rangelands, mobility, and livelihoods in NENA is critical to guide policies, investments, and interventions that enhance resilience and ecosystem health
- Supporting pastoral women and youth in NENA with locally adapted innovations, market access, and services strengthens livelihoods, productivity, and sustainable rangeland management
We are launching The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026 with the regional conference in the Arab region 'Building a Shared Vision for Sustainable Rangelands and Pastoral Communities in the Near East and North Africa' in Tunisia 26 - 28 January.
Co-organised with the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa, a key member of the NENA IYRP Consortium, the conference will unite regional partners, governments, experts, researchers, and pastoralist organisations to advance land rights, secure pastoralist livelihoods, and promote community-managed rangelands across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
This event launches the IYRP in the MENA region alongside the NENA IYRP Consortium's Joint Action Agenda for 2026, with ILC, through the Mobility Matters campaign, emphasises the need to:
- Recognise pastoral mobility in legal and policy frameworks
- Catalyse investment in rangelands, and
- Shift narrative on mobility as a nature-based solution and land governance model.
Co-organisers of the event in Tunisia include FAO, ICARDA, IUCN ROWA and Med, OSS, LAS, CEDARE, and AOAD, building collaborative frameworks to protect mobile pastoralism and community governance of vast rangelands.
Over three days in Tunisia, the conference will prioritise rangeland governance centered on pastoralist rights, including sessions on empowering pastoral voices, monitoring indicators for land access, and addressing climate-biodiversity challenges through community-led management. High-level dialogues, technical peer learning, and a field visit to local rangeland sites will highlight innovations that safeguard shared, non-exclusive land use essential for pastoral mobility and resilience.
On Day 2, ILC EMENA will host a 3 hour session called 'Empowering pastoral voices for sustainable rangelands'.
The session will focus on the vital role of pastoral communities in the sustainable management of rangelands. Bringing together experts, practitioners, and pastoral representatives, the session will explore three themes: monitoring and indicators for pastoral rights; the perspectives of pastoral women and youth; and the links between land rights and livelihoods.
The conference will strengthen regional cooperation for IYRP 2026 implementation, culminating in the IYRP-2026 NENA Communiqué that outlines priorities for tenure-secure rangelands, thriving pastoral communities, and policies recognising collective rights over individual or corporate claims. By amplifying women pastoralists’ roles amid the coinciding International Year of the Woman Farmer, it advances equitable land governance for food security and climate adaptation.
ILC calls for all stakeholders to join in promoting #IYRP2026 for just, sustainable outcomes.
