By Kaitlin Cordes
November 8, 2017
In this blog post, Kaitlin Cordes considers whether and how international human rights law recognizes a human right to land, and the ways in which land rights are inextricably linked to human rights.
By Kaitlin Cordes
October 17, 2017
Kaitlin Cordes shares some of the ways she uses OpenLandContracts.org, a repository of investor-state contracts.
By Kaitlin Cordes
October 3, 2017
Two years ago, CCSI announced OpenLandContracts.org, the world’s first global repository of publicly available investor-state contracts for land, agriculture, and forestry projects. In this blog post, Kaitlin Cordes reflects on the progress CCSI is made and further goals for the future.
By Liam Kelley-St. Claire
September 26, 2017
CCSI spoke with Lorenzo Cotula and Thierry Berger of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) OpenLandContracts.org, the world’s first searchable repository of publicly available investor-state land contracts. Lorenzo and Thierry discussed how they use the repository in their work, and how disclosure of land contracts can inform legal empowerment at the local and national levels.
By Nathan Lobel
September 26, 2017
CCSI invited UN officials, policy makers, civil society leaders, and academics to Columbia for a one-day conference to discuss the Global Pact for the Environment. The Global Pact aims to serve as a legally binding “umbrella text” for international environmental law that would establish a universal right to a healthy environment. Panelists presented their hopes for the Pact’s potential impact, including expanding human rights protections, influencing state policy-making, and catalyzing a holistic rethinking of other international agreements (like those on trade or investment). They also weighed in on fundamental questions for drafters and negotiators to address before the Pact is ready for ratification, like whether the Pact should be fully legally binding, whether it should use a narrow or broad definition of “environment,” and whether it should be designed for use in international or domestic courts.
By Jesse Coleman and Kaitlin Cordes
September 21, 2017
In this blog post, Jesse Coleman and Kaitlin Cordes explore how Tanzania exemplifies the many challenges of large-scale international investment. Four companies under a bilateral investment treaty in force between Tanzania and Sweden are currently holding a claim against the country after 3,000 hectares of the land allocated for the project were recovered by the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Developments. The project had potential impacts on local farmers, villagers, wildlife and tourism at Saadani National Park, however, Tanzania now faces significant financial liability if they are found to have breached their obligations under the applicable IIA.
By Sandeep Dixit and Abhijit Sharan
May 24, 2017
In this blog post, Sandeep Dixit and Abhijit Sharan write on the drought in the Indian state of Jharkhand that has caused more than 20 million farmers to suffer. In effort to correct the state’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture and input modern farming practices, the Centers for International Projects Trust in New Delhi has collaborated with Ranchi’s Birsa Agricultural University to work on construction of small ponds (called “dobhas”) under its Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers’ Livelihood program.
By Sam Szoke-Burke
December 20, 2016
In this blog post, Sam Szoke-Burke describes how governments using land for large-scale projects must consider both the greater public benefits as well as the needs of the people who reside on and utilize the resources of the land. The risks of land expropriation include: an excessive demand on public resources, ruins to property and disruption to investment projects, and damage to government reputations. Therefore, both domestic and international human rights law must be considered.
By Stephen Brooks
October 27, 2016
In this blog post, Stephen Brooks explains how strong institutions, laws, and policies are critical to ensuring that the destabilizing effects of climate change don’t impinge on the rights of local populations. As climate change continues to pose a significant threat to the poorest citizens and puts strain on government systems, it is critical to recognize that the push to reduce emissions and switch to clean energy sources intersects with securing land and resource rights for impacted communities.
By Alejandra Cicero and Jesse Coleman
October 24, 2016
In this blog post, Alejandra Cicero and Jesse Coleman give numerous examples —Pakistan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and others—that illustrate how climate action depends on regional, domestic, and international engagement. With strong and coherent jurisprudential narratives on legal responsibility for climate change, there is potential for success in influencing private sector action.