In collective or communal land tenure systems, communities of people share access and use of land, typically administered by a local leader. Many rural people, including the majority of the world’s indigenous groups, live on collectively held land. For indigenous groups, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes land as a fundamental human right.
Frequently in places where land governance is weak, collective land rights are not legally recognized or protected, contributing to conflict, tenure insecurity, and violations of recognized human rights. Landesa has decades of experience supporting better policy and programs to strengthen collective land rights, spanning sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
