International Land and Forest Tenure Facility

International Land and Forest Tenure Facility
Name	International Land and Forest Tenure Facility
Founded	0 2017
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
Key people	Nonette Royo (Executive Director)
Focus	Land tenure, Forest tenure, Indigenous peoples, Local community
Website	https://thetenurefacility.org/

International Land and Forest Tenure Facility. It is an independent multilateral organization dedicated to securing the land and forest rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities worldwide. Established in 2017, it is the first international financial institution focused exclusively on providing grants and technical support for tenure security. The facility operates as a key partner to organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank.

Background and establishment

The need for the facility emerged from decades of advocacy and research highlighting the critical link between secure community land rights and global goals like climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. Key milestones included the 2012 adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure by the Committee on World Food Security and the 2016 Paris Agreement, which recognized the role of Indigenous peoples. Founding support came from donors including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, and the Ford Foundation. The official launch was announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech in 2016, with operations commencing in Stockholm in 2017.

Mission and objectives

Its core mission is to accelerate the implementation of land and forest tenure reforms by directly funding Indigenous peoples and local communities. Primary objectives include scaling up recognition of customary land rights through legal documentation like titles and maps, strengthening community governance and management systems, and reducing conflicts related to land grabbing and resource extraction. The work is strategically aligned with global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Governance and structure

The facility is governed by a Board of Directors comprising representatives from Indigenous peoples, local communities, donor agencies, and technical experts. Day-to-day operations are managed by an executive team led by the Executive Director, Nonette Royo, a lawyer and advocate from the Philippines. Key operational partners include international non-governmental organizations like the Rights and Resources Initiative and regional networks such as the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. Its headquarters are located in Stockholm, with program staff and advisors working across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Key activities and programs

Its principal activity is providing direct grants and technical assistance to community-led organizations and their partners for projects that secure legal recognition of land and forest rights. This includes supporting participatory cartography and demarcation processes, legal advocacy, and the development of community by-laws. Notable programs have supported the Maya people in Guatemala, the Munda people in India, and forest communities in Liberia and Peru. It also facilitates knowledge exchange and builds the capacity of grassroots movements to engage with national governments and institutions like the World Bank.

Impact and recognition

By 2023, the facility had supported projects impacting over 10 million hectares of land and benefiting hundreds of communities. Its model has contributed to significant legal victories, such as the recognition of ancestral domains in Indonesia and Philippines. The approach has been recognized by institutions like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as a critical nature-based solution. It has received continued funding from major donors, including the European Commission and the Bezos Earth Fund, affirming its role in the global climate and conservation finance architecture.

Challenges and criticism

The facility operates in complex political environments where opposition from powerful interests in sectors like agribusiness, mining, and logging is common. Challenges include navigating slow or contested legal reforms, as seen in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia. Some criticism centers on the scale of funding being insufficient relative to the vast global need for tenure security. Ensuring that project benefits are equitably shared within communities, including with women and youth, remains an ongoing operational challenge.

Category:International organizations Category:Land tenure Category:Forestry organizations Category:Organizations based in Stockholm Category:Indigenous rights organizations