The presentation provides an overview of the linkages between land tenure security, migration and the VGGTs

1. Land Tenure Security, Migration
and the Voluntary Guidelines on
the Responsible Governance of
Tenure of Land, Fisheries and
Forests (VGGTs)
Marcela Villarreal, PhD
Director of the Partnerships and South-South
Cooperation Division at the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
World Bank Land and Poverty Conference 2018

2. Structure
1. Objective
2. Current data and research
3. An analytical Framework
linking land tenure security
and migration
4. The Voluntary Guidelines
5. Conclusions

3. ⬆️ Tenure Security = ⬇️ Migration
• VGGT contribute to create a culture of good governance where tenure rights are respected and
migration can be an effective choice rather than a necessity
Hypothesis

4. Growing number of migrants in the world
From 2000 to 2017
• Up from 173 to 258 million
• Rate has surpassed that of population
growth
• Increase in the share of migrants in the
world population from 2.8% to 3.4%
• About half are women
In 2050
• Expected to exceed 400 million
0 100 200 300 400 500
2000
2017
2050
Chart 1: International Migrants
(Millions)
Source: UNDESA Population Division (2017): Trends in International Migrant Stock

5. Differentiating migration flows
Source: IOM Global Migration Trends Factsheet (2015)
International and Internal Migration
258
763
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Total International Migrants (2017) Total Internal Migrants (2013)
There are over a
billion migrants
across the globe

6. Forced Migration in the World
Over 84 million
persons were forcibly
displaced in 2015
Assylum Seekers:
3.2 million
Internally Displaced
People - IDPs : 40.8
millionRefugees:
21.3 million
Displaced by natural
disasters:
19.2 million
Source: IOM Global Migration Trends Factsheet (2015)

7. Source: UNDESA Population Division (2017): Trends in International Migrant Stock
Percentage distribution of international migrants by region of
destination, for regions of origin, 2000 and 2017
Most migrants stay within their region of origin
Migration occurs
primarily between
countries that are
located within the
same region of
origin with the
exception of the
Americas

8. Source: UNDESA Population Division (2017): Trends in International Migrant Stock
High-income countries host most international migrants
International migrants by country income group, 2000 and 2017
High-
income
64%
Middle-
income
32%
Low-income
4%
2017
81 m
165 m
11 m
High-
income
58%
Middle-
income
37%
Low-income
5%
2000

9. Remittances are larger than ODA
Source: World Bank (2017): Migration and Development Brief 28
Remittance Flows to Developing Countries 1990–2019
Acronyms: FDI = Foreign Direct Investment; ODA = Official Development Assistance.
• Remittances are estimated
to reach $596 billion
worldwide with $450 billion
going to low and middle
income countries
• Flows are significantly bigger
than ODA and are more
stable than private capital
flows

10. Causes of rural-out migration
• Dramatic land degradation and
desertification affect around one third of the
land used for agriculture and 1.2 billion
people worldwide
• 73% of global population without access to
social protection live in rural areas
• Migration due to natural-hazard and climate
related disasters is estimated at 26.4 million
persons per year (2008- 2015)
Food
insecurity &
low
agricultural
productivity
Rural-urban
inequalities in
the provision
of services &
opportunities
Lack of
access to
income
generating
opportunities
Climate
change and
weather
related
disasters
Lack of
access to
services,
technology,
inputs and
markets
Lack of Social
Protection
Bad
Governance
& Conflict
Depletion of
natural
resources due
to
environmental
degradation

11. Migration studies
• Individual’s utility function
• Household influence
• Community/contextual variables
Little on Governance issues

12. Governance fundamental to both migration and land tenure
• Poor governance underlies
many of the factors that
directly affect migration: from
the socio-economic to those
relating to conflict and unrest
• Need to focus on the role of
governance variables as
relevant factors in the
migration process
• These factors are also essential
to ensure secure land tenure
rights for rural populations
Governance
factors shaping
the decision
to migrate
Strength of institutions
Adequacy of policy
Ability to participate and
influence policy processes
Transparency and
accountability of
government

13. What is Good Governance?
• Participation and voice: all women and men should have a
voice in the decisions that will affect their lives
• directly or indirectly through intermediate institutions that represent
their intention
• Transparency: all relevant information is open, available and
accessible to all
• Accountability: all decision makers are accountable
• Rule of law: legal frameworks should be fair and enforced
regardless of power, influence or wealth

14. Factors for successful implementation of VGGT
• Political will from the Government at all levels and sectors: involving
sectors as important as involving different actors
• Institutional framework with clear mandates, roles and
responsibilities to ensure effective follow-up and implementation of
the recommendations made by the multi-stakeholder platform
• An inclusive and consensus-building steering committee
• Multi-stakeholder platform that guarantees voice to all relevant
stakeholders at central as well as decentralized levels
• Development of the capacities of all actors to participate effectively
in the platform and to perform their roles and responsibilities
• Strong accountability mechanisms for all actors engaged in the
process, including the United Nations

15. Land tenure security and Migration
• Highly contextual
• Complex set of variables affecting decision to migrate
• Hierarchy of factors
• Thresholds
• Inconclusive evidence in the literature

16. Analytical Framework
LAND TENURE INTERMEDIATE VARIABLES MIGRATION
CONFLICT
NATURAL DISASTER
UNREST
PRODUCTIVITY
• Credit
• Services
• Inputs
• Soil quality
F
O
R
C
E
D
V
O
L
U
N
T
A
R
Y
INSTITUTIONS / POLICIES / PARTICIPATION / TRANSPARENCY / ACCOUNTABILITY
INTERNALLY
DISPLACED
ASSYLUM
SEEKERS
REFUGEES
INTERNATIONAL
INTERNAL
RURAL-RURAL
RURAL-URBAN
POPULATION PRESSURE
SOCIAL SECURITY
EDUCATION
FOOD SECURITY
INVESTMENT
TENURE RIGHTS
G
O
V
E
R
N
A
N
C
E

17. Investment is a key mediating factor
⬆️ Security of Tenure ⬆️ Investment ⬆️ Food security ⬇️ Migration
⬆️ Agricultural Productivity / ⬆️ Soil quality

18. Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of
Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forestry in the Context of
National Food Security (VGGT)
• 3 years consultation/negotiation member countries,
civil society organizations and private sector
• Legitimacy of a multi-stakeholder process
• Over 60 countries-- some improved land policy/ laws
• Foundations of a culture of respect, shared power,
rights and responsibilities
• VGGT implementation contributes to create a culture of
good governance where tenure rights are respected
and migration can be an effective choice rather than a
necessity

19. VGGT Principles
GENERAL
1. Recognition and respect of all legitimate
tenure right holders
2. Safeguard legitimate tenure rights
against threats and infringements
3. Promote and facilitate enjoyment of
legitimate tenure rights
4. Provide access to justice to address the
infringement of these rights
5. Prevent tenure disputes, violent conflicts
and corruption
IMPLEMENTATION
1. Human dignity
2. Non-discrimination
3. Equity and justice
4. Gender equality
5. Holistic and sustainable approach
6. Consultation and participation
7. Rule of law
8. Transparency
9. Accountability
10. Continuous improvement

20. Conclusions
1. Evidence partially supports the assumption that
increased tenure security would reduce migration
2. Highly contextual relationship
3. Significant intermediate variables such as investment,
agricultural productivity, land degradation, demographic
pressure
4. Factors: tenure system, tenure rights, rights holders
5. Good governance is crucial. It improves both security of
tenure and the possibility of making migration a choice
rather than a need
6. VGGT implementation promotes a culture of good
governance