Outcomes from the Arab Land Conference

Despite many constitutions and legal frameworks in the Arab region recognising women's rights to land on paper, social norms and traditions often limit their access and enforcement of these rights. This systemic tension results in ongoing challenges for women to claim or register their ownership rights, highlighting a significant gap between legal provisions and social realities. The stark reality of this situation is reflected in the alarmingly low percentage of women who have their names on land or property legal documents in the region, estimated at a mere 5% as of 2002.

While some countries, such as Oman, report encouraging statistics with 45% of total property ownership attributed to women, a closer examination reveals a stark disparity between urban and rural ownership rates. This lack of rural data points to a broader problem—gaps in comprehensive data collection, particularly in rural and marginalised communities where women's land rights are more vulnerable. Despite progress in urban areas or specific initiatives, the Arab region still has one of the lowest percentages of women's land ownership globally.

The challenges extend beyond documentation to social pressures and administrative hurdles that prevent women from registering property in their names. Moreover, the difficulties in obtaining reliable and disaggregated data, particularly in conflict-affected and rural areas where gendered land rights violations are more prevalent, further complicate efforts to address this issue effectively.

Global indicators, such as SDG 1.4.2 and SDG 5.a.1, which measure ownership or secure tenure rights over agricultural land, face challenges in the Arab context. These indicators are often not tailored to regional and cultural contexts, and there is a lack of standardised methods for data collection in certain Arab countries. Additionally, women often hold informal or unregistered land rights, making it difficult to capture their ownership status in official statistics.

To address these challenges, collaboration between state institutions, NGOs, and international organisations is crucial. Promising initiatives, such as community-driven land registration projects, land law reforms, and gender-sensitive land governance practices, demonstrate the potential for positive change. Sharing regional best practices can encourage replication and learning across the Arab world, fostering a more inclusive approach to land rights.

In conclusion, advancing women's land rights in the Arab region requires ongoing dialogue and continuous stakeholder engagement to refine policies and practices. By adopting data-driven approaches and fostering regional collaborations, there is hope for meaningful advancements in ensuring women's access to land and property rights. This collaborative effort is essential for bridging the gap between legal provisions and social realities, ultimately empowering women and promoting gender equality in land ownership across the Arab region.

Summary of the ALC session: Advancing women’s tenure security in the MENA Region: reporting, data and initiatives to close the gap

People-generated data can significantly improve land governance in the Arab region with proper legal frameworks. This is supported by several initiatives and tools that have been developed to address land governance challenges in the region. One such initiative is the SOLIndex, a global index that measures the completeness and openness of land data at the country level. It assesses government performance in data transparency across five key categories: legal and policy, land tenure, land use, land development, and land value. The ultimate goal of SOLIndex is to democratise land data and create open standards, collaborating with partners such as LANDex, FAO-GLO, and GDB.

Another important tool is LandMark, an online platform for mapping Indigenous Peoples' and local communities' lands. While the MENA region currently lacks some data layers, there are opportunities to better differentiate resource rights, such as forest and grazing rights. LandMark aims to create knowledge products, support advocacy, and build communities of practice. For the Arab region, opportunities lie in expanding data coverage and including rangelands while considering mobile communities' tenure systems. This approach highlights the potential for people-generated data to fill gaps in existing land governance frameworks.

The LANDex initiative, developed by ILC further demonstrates the value of people-generated data. LANDex assesses national land governance through ten dimensions based on ILC's commitments, incorporating both existing national data and people-based indicators. Recent updates include integrating youth perspectives and land tenure considerations in Rio conventions' implementation. The tool aims to package data into insights and stories, facilitating meaningful discussions between governments and civil society organisations. This collaborative approach ensures that local voices are heard and valued in land governance decisions.

In Tunisia, a platform developed with the Ministry of Agriculture visualises urbanisation and vegetation indexes using freely available open data. This initiative highlights the important role of academia in land governance through data and emphasizes the need for social and economic partners to cross-validate research. Such collaborations can enhance the credibility and utility of people-generated data, making it more relevant for informing decision-making processes.

However, despite these advancements, there are challenges that need to be addressed. Operationalising legal frameworks for data sharing, publicising existing data, and improving national data portals are crucial steps. Additionally, addressing the lack of collaboration between institutions and civil society, as seen in the Palestinian context, is essential. A programme in Palestine aims to bridge this gap by supporting civil servants in connecting data initiatives and focusing on how data can positively impact citizens. By tackling these challenges and leveraging the potential of people-generated data, the Arab region can foster more inclusive and effective land management practices.

Summary of the ALC session: Data Collaboratives and tools for resilience in the Arab region

By establishing National Land Coalitions (NLCs), the ILC has created platforms that amplify the voices of marginalised communities in land-related decision-making processes. These coalitions serve as a bridge between grassroots communities and policymakers, ensuring that local perspectives are heard and considered.

In the MENA region, NLCs have demonstrated significant potential. Jordan's multi-stakeholder land coalition, focuses on increasing awareness of land-related legislation and advocating for the rights of marginalised groups, particularly pastoralists who constitute 90% of Jordan's population. This coalition addresses critical issues such as climate change impacts, water scarcity, and desertification, which directly affect local livelihoods.

Despite challenging circumstances, the Palestinian NLC has developed strategic approaches to advocate for the rights and interests of marginalised local communities. Their work showcases how civil society can leverage collective platforms to influence land-related policies and decisions, even in complex political environments.

The success of these coalitions lies in their ability to facilitate partnerships between civil society, government, and other stakeholders, thereby addressing power imbalances and divergent incentives. By adopting flexible, adaptive approaches tailored to specific country contexts, civil society organisations can empower marginalised communities and shift towards more people-centred land governance.

Summary of the ALC session: Civil Society Assembly

Recent developments in international environmental governance recognises the importance of local and indigenous knowledge in addressing climate change and land degradation.

The International Land Coalition (ILC) has been advocating for the inclusion of land tenure indicators in global environmental frameworks, recognising the crucial link between secure land rights and sustainable land management. At the Convention on Biological Diversity's COP16, significant progress was made with the proposal of a land tenure indicator for Target 22, with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) identified as the custodian. This achievement builds on existing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) land indicators and calls for the integration of diverse data sources, including both governmental and non-governmental.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is also moving towards incorporating land tenure considerations into its monitoring framework. While the UNCCD's framework is more advanced in some respects, there is recognition that its land indicator needs further development.

The FAO and UNCCD are collaborating on joint national consultations to support countries in mainstreaming land tenure into the convention's implementation. These consultations, which have taken place in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Senegal, and Sri Lanka, have highlighted the diversity of ecosystems and land tenure types that need consideration, as well as the ongoing need for awareness-raising and capacity-building on the link between tenure security and land degradation.

The LANDex initiative, developed by the ILC, further demonstrates the importance of incorporating local perspectives into land governance assessments. This global governance indicator draws data from various sources, including citizen-generated data, to reflect different dimensions of land tenure. By aligning with SDGs and adding indicators on the integration of land tenure into national implementation of environmental conventions, LANDex provides a comprehensive tool for assessing progress in secure and equitable land rights.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in ensuring that local communities' perspectives are included in biodiversity action plans and ecosystem restoration efforts. By incorporating local knowledge and practices, these plans can be made more relevant and effective, while also providing opportunities for social and economic empowerment of local communities.

Summary of the ALC session: Lessons learnt on biodiversity and drought resilience: UNCBD & UNCCD COPs’ outcomes

Ecosystem restoration in the MENA region faces significant challenges, primarily due to a substantial finance gap. Currently, there is a 90% shortfall in funding for restoration efforts. The region receives only 6.6% of global finance, with a mere 2.4% allocation of what could potentially be allocated. Despite these challenges, $1 Billion has been committed globally to land restoration, though only 4% of this amount is directed towards the MENA region. This underinvestment is particularly concerning given the region's struggles with land degradation and drought impacts, which have exacerbated food insecurity. In fact, food security in the region is four times lower than it should be.

To address these issues, a common approach to ecosystem restoration is essential. This involves focusing on curating partnerships and designing innovative finance solutions to enhance resource allocation. Advocating for a fairer share of climate finance is also crucial. The potential benefits of investment in land restoration are substantial; each dollar invested can yield up to $20 in returns. Moreover, land restoration can increase productivity by 50%, making it a viable solution to both climate change and food security challenges.

Regional initiatives highlight the potential for impactful restoration projects. For example, in the Sultanate of Oman, mangrove restoration offers opportunities for companies to offset CO2 emissions while protecting coastal areas and promoting technological development. In Lebanon, post-fire integrated restoration efforts are critical due to the increasing risk of forest fires, which can lead to catastrophic outcomes when followed by heavy rainfall. Additionally, the vast rangelands in the region, which account for 90% of the land, have been largely overlooked in restoration efforts.

Key to successful restoration is addressing the challenges of weak land governance and securing land tenure for pastoralists. This requires consultation with local communities as a first step, taking into account the unique conditions of arid and semi-arid regions. Documenting and learning from local knowledge is also essential. Implementing people-centered land governance will help ensure long-term restoration success. Furthermore, empowering women and youth to support restoration efforts can enhance community engagement and sustainability.

In conclusion, investing in ecosystem restoration in the MENA region is vital for addressing climate change, food security, and economic development. By prioritising restoration, advocating for regional collaboration, and addressing community needs, significant progress can be made. Rangelands are diverse and have unique contexts. Protecting them requires tailored approaches that consider the specific ecological, social, and economic factors of each area, emphasising the importance of a region-specific and nuanced strategy in restoration efforts.

Summary of the ALC session: Investment pathways to ecosystem restoration in the Near East and North Africa.