On January 23, 2025, the Land Portal Foundation and Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG) convened a webinar to explore the evolving landscape of agricultural investments in the Mekong region. Experts from various sectors joined to discuss the impact of industrial crops, smallholder farmer integration into transnational value chains, and the resulting economic, environmental, and social transformations.

In a strict sense, there is no express right to land under international human rights law. Yet, without land, several human rights would be in jeopardy.

Ibrahim has lived on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital city since he was born, 71 years ago.  Five generations have lived, loved, studied, worked, and built their homes on this land.  He is Kenyan.  Proving that to the government and asserting his rights as a citizen, however, has been a life-long struggle.

The webinar “Pathways to Customary Land & Forest Rights in the Mekong” took place on July 2nd, 2024. This was the second webinar in the series ‘State of Land in the Mekong region’ which aims to highlight the evolving environment of land governance in this dynamic region, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. The webinar attracted 240 participants and featured experts from the Mekong region.

The Land Portal Foundation, in partnership with Transparency International, hosted the webinar titled "Breaking New Ground: Insights and Stories on the Impact of Land Corruption on Discriminated Groups in Africa." The webinar brought together a panel of distinguished experts to delve into the challenges and complexities of corruption intertwined with discrimination in land rights and governance. This session provided crucial insights through detailed case studies and expert analyses, offering pathways towards more equitable land management practices.

My heart aches for all those who have lost their loved ones from the tragedy facing Kenya today as the death toll nears 100. Heavy rains have lashed Kenya in recent weeks, causing widespread flooding that has displaced thousands, destroyed infrastructure, and devastated livelihoods.

This webinar took place on February 15th, 2024, under the title “Women’s Participation in Land Governance in the Mekong : Moving Beyond Quotas to Meaningful Inputs and Influence”. The webinar  featured panelists from researchers to youth representatives and was jointly organized by the Land Portal Foundation and Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG).   

Sr. Elizabeth Daley, Independent freelance consultant and Chair of the Land Portal Foundation, moderated the panel, which featured the following speakers: 

Webinar Recap: Showcasing transformative approaches for women’s land rights

OVERVIEW 

Empowering women to occupy leadership roles and to take an active part in decision making processes in land governance has demonstrated that strides can be made towards gender justice.

Land acquisition without consent or compensation. Loss of cultural identity and traditions. Threats and violence against human rights defenders. These are just some of the human rights impacts Indigenous Peoples and other local communities face, among over 200 allegations against the renewable energy industry over the last decade as recorded by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

The Land Portal has been using data stories since 2019 as a way to demonstrate how combining data with engaging, memorable and persuasive narratives can empower communities to tell their stories to the world.