July 2014: The July 2014 newsletter of the Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure Governance Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) includes updates on: recent events; support for the Guidelines; examples of the use of the Guidelines; technical publications and e-learning; and news on other relevant guidelines.

On events, the newsletter: summarizes national workshops held in China, Liberia, and Malawi; informs of discussions on the Guidelines held during the XXV Congress of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 16-20 June; and highlights celebrations on the second anniversary of the Guidelines on 14 May.

The newsletter also reports on commitments to support the Guidelines by Cargill Inc. and Nestlé, in global business transactions and through a ‘Commitment on Land and Land Rights in Agricultural Supply Chains,’ respectively.

On implementation, a publication on the use of the Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF), and e-learning sessions organized for Europe, Georgia and Ukraine, and in Russian, are featured. The newsletter also presents: an e-learning course on addressing disputes and conflicts over tenure rights; a working paper on the perspective of stakeholders on reaching a consensus on governance of tenure; and a French-language version of the technical guide ‘Respecting Free, Prior and Informed Consent.’

The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security on 11 May 2012, 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. [Publication: Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure Governance Newsletter – July 2014] [FAO Governance of Tenure Website]