The Guidelines were endorsed by the 38th (Special) Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on 11 May 2012.
The Voluntary Guidelines are available in: I العربية I 中文 l English I français I русский l español
The Guidelines were developed through intergovernmental negotiations led by CFS that took place during 2011-12. In addition multi-stakeholder consultation meetings were organized in 2009-2010 including participants from international and governmental agencies, civil society organizations, private sector representatives and research institutions.
The Guidelines promote secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests as a means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the environment.
They set out principles and internationally accepted practices. They provide a framework that States can use when developing their own strategies, policies, legislation and programmes. They allow government authorities, the private sector, civil society and citizens to assess tenure governance, and identify improvements and apply them.
For more information on the Guidelines and the governance of tenure, please visit www.fao.org/nr/tenure or contact the Voluntary Guidelines secretariat at VG-tenure@fao.org.