On October 4-5, 2017, Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, will host the 3rd international conference on community land and resource rights. The event which will be held under the theme “Reducing inequality in a turbulent world: Scaling-up strategies to secure indigenous, community, and women’s land rights”, will be co-organized by Ngo Rights and Resources and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida.

“Inequality and the marginalization of women, Indigenous Peoples, and rural communities is driving political unrest, challenging conventional development models. Today, nearly a third of the world's population does not have secure rights to the lands and forests they customarily claim,” the organizers indicate.

This insecurity affects mostly women and indigenous community, who are powerless against traditions and multinationals. “Today, there are unprecedented commitments by governments, the private sector, and the international community to respect community and indigenous land rights as a solution to global inequality, conflict, and an increasingly unstable climate. A new set of tools and initiatives is already supporting efforts to scale-up rights recognition. However, the pressure on community lands continue to grow, community members who protect their rights do so at grave risk, and women who are increasingly playing a leading role in forest and land management continue to face injustice in both land rights and governance,” reads the statement announcing the event.

To tackle these issues, the event’s organizers wish to provide an opportunity for the various parties concerned “to discuss shared progress and devise strategies for an even more consolidated effort moving forward”.