What the Global Land Forum 2022 means for ILC Asia members

On behalf of ILC Asia, I would like to thank all Asia members who came to the Global Land Forum 2022 and made our event much livelier. The GLF, which was organised in Jordan, provided an opportunity for us to learn about the serious challenges faced by the country, such as water scarcity and conflict, displacement, and migration. The GLF also came at a time where the climate crisis had exacerbated the livelihoods of local communities across the globe. The event emphasised the need to highlight the important connection between land, tenure security, sustainable food systems and addressing the climate crisis.

We also welcomed the eight new members of ILC Asia to the event. We thank you for your energy and enthusiasm at the event, and for the diverse expertise that you bring to our commitment to strengthening the ILC network.

More than 100 young people, including 11 from Asia, participated in the first-ever Global Land Forum Youth 2022. It opened a new door for young people across the world to seek joint solutions to the problems in owning, accessing, governing and stewardship of land. The active participation of the Youth Fellows from Asia showed that the future of ILC should lie in the hands of our young generation.

As a way forward ILC Asia believes that in the face of global challenges like inequality and climate change, a strong network made up of land rights defenders and those who work directly with local communities, is the key to realising land rights as the pathway out of the climate crisis.