Bringing together leaders of a growing global movement, GLF Bonn 2019 broke new ground with its commitment to changing the narrative on rights. From cutting-edge issues concerning land tenure to promoting Indigenous rights, the GLF conference freely and openly explored the challenges and contributions of Indigenous Peoples.

Mailo tenure is the most legislated form of tenure in Uganda, having its origins in the 1900 Buganda Agreement. Reforms over the years have seen the evolution of this tenure that is essentially freehold in nature, albeit with its local characteristics arising out of an unresolved tenant question. This status quo was reinstated in the 1995 Constitution, the Land Act and its subsequent amendments. Whereas it is expected that reforms introduced by the Constitution and Land Act would suffice in stabilizing Mailo tenure, this has not happened in practice.

The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) created the Special Initiative “One world, No hunger” aimed to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. Special focus is on Action Area 6 “Promotion of responsible land use and improvement of access to land”. The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) has presently implemented the Global Programme on Responsible Land Policy in 6 countries: Peru, Laos, Benin, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Uganda.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a conceptual framework of 17 goals and 169 targets. An abundance of interlinkages exists between them. Land targets are core to achieving most of the SDGs including poverty eradication, food security, gender equality and empowerment of women, adequate housing and urban development, mitigating and adapting to climate change, reducing and preventing land degradation, and fostering peace and stability for prosperity.