18 June 2013: In a joint communiqué following the June G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, G8 leaders stated their commitment to transparency and good land governance.

In the outcome communique, the leaders “acknowledge the importance of multilateral efforts to promote greater land transparency, in particular, the role of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in providing global policy guidance for good land governance and transparency.” They also welcome the launch of the consultations on the principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment (rai), among other activities.

The leaders identified partnerships with particular developing countries to target support to existing land governance programmes. Partnerships were announced between the United States and Burkina Faso, South Sudan and the European Union, Namibia and Germany, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, Niger and the European Union, Senegal and France, and Tanzania and the United Kingdom. Partnerships will be tailored to each country and will support national development plans with the aim of improving transparency in land transactions by 2015.

Japan and Italy also announced increased support to the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. [G8 Press Release][G8 Communiqué] [G8 Lough Erne Website]