Photo: Debre Berhan, central Ethiopia by Georgina Smith / CIAT. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

As the world hurtles toward increasingly ambitious climate and conservation targets, land has become the crucible in which competing environmental and human priorities collide. On June 5, 2025, nearly three hundred stakeholders from around the world gathered virtually for the webinar “The Land We Need: Rights, Restoration, and Collective Action Towards UNCCD COP17,” co-organized by the Land Portal Foundation and TMG – ThinkTank for Sustainability. The session focused on a central tension: how to ensure land-based environmental actions—like afforestation and ecosystem restoration—strengthen, rather than undermine, legitimate tenure rights and the livelihoods of those who depend on land. 

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) remains the only legally binding agreement linking sustainable land management to environmental sustainability. Through its Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) framework and a series of landmark decisions (COP14/26, COP15/27, and COP16/28), the UNCCD has progressively recognized secure land tenure as an essential foundation for achieving LDN targets. Yet, despite this progress, implementation remains patchy, and tenure continues to be treated as peripheral in many national strategies.

Moderated by journalist Thin Lei Win, the 90-minute session reflected on recent progress, showcased country-level research, and called for a unified advocacy roadmap toward COP17. Below are highlights from the session’s speakers, drawing a nuanced portrait of the challenges—and the real possibilities—for collective action.

Setting the Stage: Political Momentum Meets Ground Realities

Kerstin Henke, acting national focal point for Germany to the UNCCD (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), opened the webinar by acknowledging the increasing competition over land as a finite resource. She posed fundamental questions: Whose land is being restored under these massive pledges? Who bears the costs?

Henke traced Germany’s leading role in bringing land tenure into the heart of the UNCCD agenda, beginning with COP13 and culminating in the adoption of the first land tenure decision at COP14, followed by decisions at COP15 and COP16. She emphasized Germany’s dual-track approach—negotiating multilateral policy on the one hand as part of the European Group, while supporting national implementation of decisions on the other. Through its “Responsible Land Policy” project, Germany has helped secure land rights for nearly 600,000 households across 11 countries, 60% of which are women. “Without addressing land tenure,” Henke said, “there can be no progress in the fight against desertification and land degradation.”

TMG’s Four-Year Monitoring: From Policy to Practice

Washe Kazungu, Country Project Manager at TMG Research, presented findings from four years of monitoring the implementation of the UNCCD’s land tenure decisions across six African countries. His remarks distilled the central paradox: while the policy groundwork is in place, national governments still struggle to translate these global commitments into coherent, enforceable actions.

Kazungu described a three-pronged research approach: (i) analysis of national plans and actions to achieve the objectives of the UNCCD and the legal framework governing tenure rights where these actions are being implemented, (ii) household surveys and participatory mapping in case study areas, and (iii) analysis of the outputs of the first two steps to propose context-specific recommendations for integrating land tenure into national land restoration plans. The research exposed considerable variation in how countries interpret and operationalize the concept of “legitimate tenure rights.” Ministries of environment, which typically lead UNCCD implementation, often have limited land tenure expertise and this hinders them from properly integrating tenure into restoration efforts.

TMG’s work has also gone beyond research. Kazungu highlighted coalition-building efforts like the Benin CSO Alliance, which monitors the inclusion of tenure in national LDN plans. In Kenya, Beninand Madagascar, TMG’s research informed national focal points' advocacy for the preparation of the countries’ position at COP15 and COP16. The findings of TMG’s research  also informed the proposal of creating a new role: Focal Points for Land Tenure. This recommendation, first proposed by the Africa Group, was adopted at COP16, signaling a concrete step toward bridging capacity gaps.

Voices from the Field: The Role of Focal Points

Dr. Lucy Nganga, former alternate focal point for the UNCCD and UNCBD in Kenya, emphasized the central role focal points play in linking global decisions with local realities. In Kenya, she explained, a multi-stakeholder platform involving  relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, civil society, academia, and community based-organizations has been instrumental in mainstreaming tenure into the country’s LDN strategy. National dialogues, such as the one held in Nairobi in August 2024, helped develop more concrete entry points for land tenure. Further, a new “LDN TSP 2.0” is currently being developed, in which land tenure should play a central role.

Dr. Nganga stressed that capacity-building within environment ministries is crucial: “Where the focal point is domiciled (mainly environment ministries), there is typically strong expertise in environmental law and governance. However, there may be limited capacity or expertise on issues related to land, agriculture, and gender, as government expertise in these areas  typically fall under the responsibility of other ministries. Cross-sectoral collaboration is necessary to effectively implement UNCCD decisions.”

Panel Discussion: Past Progress and Future Pathways

The panel discussion featured three complementary voices: Beth Roberts (Landesa), Laura Rahmeier (Robert Bosch Stiftung), and Malih Ole Kaunga (Impact Kenya). Each offered a distinct lens—global advocacy, donor engagement, and community organizing—on the path forward.

Roberts praised the incremental but impactful progress made across COP14–16. “As contentious as the initial land tenure decision was, its passage signaled government recognition that land tenure is a critical foundation—not just for LDN, but for food security, gender equality, and broader environmental goals,” she said. Landesa’s work, including through the Stand for Her Land global advocacy initiative, focuses on ensuring that tenure implementation is inclusive and locally led, with grassroots women and youth at the center, and seeks to integrate inclusive tenure within the context of UNCCD implementation and across the Rio Conventions..

Kaunga, speaking from 30 years of experience as a community organizer, emphasized the risks rural communities face from both state policies and climate-driven land grabs. “Just transition is not only about energy. In Kenya, vast areas are being taken through compulsory acquisition or falsely negotiated deals. We must embed tenure in national law and prioritize customary systems,” he argued. While Kenya has a Community Land Act, only 12% of community lands have been registered—and registration often falls to under-resourced NGOs.

Rahmeier offered the donor’s perspective. She acknowledged growing political regression and funding cuts across the land rights space, but also pointed to strong opportunities for collaboration. “Civil society has played a pivotal role in moving the land tenure agenda forward under the UNCCD. We now need to collaborate even more effectively—across conventions, geographies, and thematic silos,” she said. The Women’s Land Rights Initiative, co-convened by Robert Bosch Stiftung, Huairou Commission, TMG Research and the three Rio Convention secretariats, aims to facilitate just that.

Looking Ahead to COP17: Implementation is the Priority

In the second round of the panel, attention turned to the road ahead.

Roberts stressed that no new decision is needed at COP17: “If governments simply implemented the tenure decisions already adopted, the impact would be transformational.” She called for stronger national consultations, inclusive caucuses (gender, youth, Indigenous Peoples), and leveraging platforms like CRIC to track progress.

Rahmeier identified opportunities in other Rio conventions, particularly UNCBD and UNFCCC, where land tenure remains under-addressed. The upcoming renewal of theGender Action Plan under UNFCCC may offer an opening to introduce land issues and land rights explicitly. The Women's Land Rights Initiative is working with the whole political spectrum of partners to strengthen and anchor women's land rights across all Rio Conventions and their respective agendas. 

Kaunga argued for a more pragmatic approach: “Governments need support to overcome legal fragmentation, implement what already exists, and reflect on the challenges they face. COP17 must also be a space where Indigenous voices are heard—not only invited, but resourced to participate meaningfully.”

Q&A and Concluding Insights

During the Q&A, participants raised critical issues, including the use of community protocols, the role of traditional authorities, and the challenges of implementing women’s land rights. The panelists pointed to existing tools such as FAO’s VGGT-LDN technical guide and participatory methods like community mapping, as well as successful examples of collective titling and customary law integration.

A recurring theme was the need for better coordination, not only between international and national frameworks but also among civil society actors themselves. Dr. Nganga closed by encouraging small organizations to join umbrella networks to ensure their voices are heard in national dialogues.

Frederike Klümper of TMG Research closed the session by reiterating the call for a shared advocacy roadmap toward COP17. “We must shift from fragmentation to true collaboration—across movements, sectors, and levels of governance. As the land rights community, we have an opportunity to fully leverage land tenure decisions, recognizing their real added value. Let’s work together to sustain this momentum and drive collective action toward COP17."

Conclusion: A Springboard to Action

The “Land We Need” webinar highlighted that while political recognition of tenure rights has advanced impressively under the UNCCD, implementation lags behind - but many positive examples exist already of those championing the implementation of the Land Tenure Decisions. Achieving land degradation neutrality without secure tenure is a contradiction in terms. The work now is to bridge the gap between global policy and local practice.

As COP17 approaches, stakeholders must rally around a shared advocacy agenda—one that centers rural communities, elevates grassroots knowledge, and commits to long-term, well-resourced action.

Land is not only a resource. It is identity, security, and legacy. To protect it, we must protect the rights of those who care for it.

This webinar was made possible through financial support provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

This blog post was produced with the assistance of AI. The content has been reviewed by panelists as well as members of the Land Portal team who attended the session.