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VGGT Section VGGT Paragraph Human Right Human rights instrument Article

Responses to climate change and emergencies

25. Conflicts in respect to tenure of land, fisheries and forests

25.4

When conflicts arise, States and other parties should strive to respect and protect existing legitimate tenure rights and guarantee that these are not extinguished by other parties. Consistent with existing obligations under relevant national and international law, States should not recognize tenure rights to land, fisheries and forests acquired, within their territories, through forceful and/or violent means. Refugees and displaced persons and others affected by conflict should be settled in safe conditions in ways that protect the tenure rights of host communities. Violations of tenure rights should be documented and, where appropriate, subsequently remedied. Official records of tenure rights should be protected against destruction and theft in order to provide evidence for subsequent processes to address such violations and facilitate possible corrective action, and in areas where such records do not exist, the existing tenure rights should be documented as best as possible in a gender-sensitive manner, including through oral histories and testimonies. Legitimate tenure rights of refugees and displaced persons should be recognized, respected and protected. Information on tenure rights and unauthorized use should be disseminated to all affected persons.

Right to self-determination

ICESCR
1

1. All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. 2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence. 3. The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, shall promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

Right to take part in cultural life

ICESCR
15.1.a

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone: (a) To take part in cultural life



Explanatory note

Referring to indigenous peoples, the CESCR has stated that the right to take part in cultural life includes the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired. States parties must therefore take measures to recognize and protect the rights of indigenous peoples to own, develop, control and use their communal lands, territories and resources, and, where they have been otherwise inhabited or used without their free and informed consent, take steps to return these lands and territories. See CESCR GC no. 21.

Right to water



Human rights note

The human right to water has been recognized by the UN General Assembly (resolution 64/292) and the Human Rights Council (resolution 15/9), as an integral part of right to an adequate standard of living, protected under, inter alia, article 25 of UDHR, and article 11 of ICESCR. With regard to the human right to water, the CESCR has indicated that attention should be given to ensuring that disadvantaged and marginalized farmers, including women farmers, have equitable access to water and water management systems, including sustainable rain harvesting and irrigation technology. Taking note of the duty in article 1, paragraph 2, of the Covenant, which provides that a people may not “be deprived of its means of subsistence”, States parties should ensure that there is adequate access to water for subsistence farming and for securing the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. The CESCR has also stated that: access to traditional water sources in rural areas should be protected from unlawful encroachment and pollution; Indigenous peoples’ access to water resources on their ancestral lands is protected from encroachment and unlawful pollution; States should provide resources for indigenous peoples to design, deliver and control their access to water; Nomadic and traveller communities have access to adequate water at traditional and designated halting sites. CESCR GC No. 26 has also highlighted that land is also directly linked to the enjoyment of the right to water. For example, the enclosure of communal grounds deprives people from access to water sources that are necessary to meet their personal and domestic needs.

ICESCR
11.1

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international cooperation based on free consent

Right to work, to free choice of employment, right to enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work

ICESCR
6.1

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right to work, which includes the right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right.

25.5

In situations of conflicts, whenever possible or when conflicts cease, States and other parties should ensure that tenure problems are addressed in ways that contribute to gender equality and support durable solutions for those affected. Where restitution is possible and, as appropriate, with the assistance of UNHCR and other relevant agencies, refugees and displaced persons should be assisted in voluntarily, safely and with dignity returning to their place of origin, in line with applicable international standards. Procedures for restitution, rehabilitation and reparation should be nondiscriminatory, gender sensitive and widely publicized, and claims for restitution should be processed promptly. Procedures for restitution of tenure rights of indigenous peoples and other communities with customary tenure systems should provide for the use of traditional sources of information.

Right to adequate housing



Human rights note

CESCR has clarified that legal security of tenure is a core aspect of the right to adequate housing. It has also indicated that notwithstanding the type of tenure, all persons should possess a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal protection against forced eviction, harassment and other threats. States parties should consequently take immediate measures aimed at conferring legal security of tenure upon those persons and households currently lacking such protection, in genuine consultation with affected persons and groups. Forced evictions are therefore prima facie incompatible with the requirements of the ICESCR and may also result in violations of civil and political rights, such as the right to life, the right to security of the person, the right to non interference with privacy, family and home and the right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions. State parties must introduce and implement national legislation that explicitly prohibits forced evictions and sets out a framework for eviction and resettlement processes to be carried out in line with international human rights law and standards. Prior to carrying out any evictions or shifts in land use which could result in depriving individuals of access to their productive resources, States parties should ensure that all feasible alternatives are explored in consultation with the affected persons, with a view to avoiding, or at least minimizing, the need to resort to evictions. In all cases, effective legal remedies or procedures shall be provided to those who are affected by eviction orders. See CESCR, GCs Nos. 4, 7 and 26.

ICESCR
11.1

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international cooperation based on free consent



Explanatory note

CESCR has clarified that legal security of tenure is a core aspect of the right to adequate housing. It has also indicated that notwithstanding the type of tenure, all persons should possess a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal protection against forced eviction, harassment and other threats. States parties should consequently take immediate measures aimed at conferring legal security of tenure upon those persons and households currently lacking such protection, in genuine consultation with affected persons and groups. Forced evictions are therefore prima facie incompatible with the requirements of the ICESCR and may also result in violations of civil and political rights, such as the right to life, the right to security of the person, the right to non interference with privacy, family and home and the right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions. See CESCR, GC Nos. 4. and 7.

Right to equality and non-discrimination

ICESCR
2.2

The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to guarantee that the rights enunciated in the present Covenant will be exercised without discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. To be read in conjunction with the rights mentioned above

3

The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights set forth in the present Covenant. To be read in conjunction with the rights mentioned above



Explanatory note

CESCR has clarified that the concept of "property", as a ground of discrimination, includes a person's land tenure status. The Covenant thus provide protection, for example, from forced eviction regardless of a person's land tenure status. See CESCR, General Comment nos. 20 and 4.

25.6

Where restitution is not possible, the provision of secure access to alternative land, fisheries and forests and livelihoods for refugees and displaced persons should be negotiated with host communities and other relevant parties to ensure that the resettlement does not jeopardize the livelihoods of others. Special procedures should, where possible, provide the vulnerable, including widows and orphans, with secure access to land, fisheries and forests

Right to an adequate standard of living

ICESCR
11.1

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international cooperation based on free consent

Right to work, to free choice of employment, right to enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work

ICESCR
6.1

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right to work, which includes the right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right.

25.7

Where appropriate, policies and laws should be revised to address preexisting discrimination as well as discrimination introduced during the conflicts. Where appropriate or required, relevant agencies should be re-established to deliver services necessary for responsible tenure governance

Right to equality and non-discrimination

ICESCR
2.2

The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to guarantee that the rights enunciated in the present Covenant will be exercised without discrimination of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. To be read in conjunction with the rights mentioned above

3

The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights set forth in the present Covenant. To be read in conjunction with the rights mentioned above



Explanatory note

CESCR has clarified that the concept of "property", as a ground of discrimination, includes a person's land tenure status. The Covenant thus provide protection, for example, from forced eviction regardless of a person's land tenure status. See CESCR, General Comment nos. 20 and 4.