On 15 August 2021, GI-ESCR, jointly with a number of partners, submitted three written contributions to the Committee of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in response to its call for input on its draft General Comment on land and economic, social and cultural rights.

Submission 1: Land and the Climate Emergency

This submission summarises the discussions that took place during a roundtable that was co-convened by GI-ESCR and Landesa on 22 July 2021, structured according to six key themes: (i) foregrounding the climate emergency; (ii) net-zero and carbon sequestration; (iii) Free, Prior and Inform Consent and impact assessments; (iv) moving beyond safeguards; (v) biodiversity and an ecosystems approach; and (vi) inclusion and non-discrimination. The submission is co-sponsored by GI-ESCR, Landesa, Earthjustice, the International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific), former Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Miloon Kothari, and the independent expert Mayra Gomez.

Submission 2: Land, Renewable Energy and Women’s Rights

This submission focuses on the interlinkages between the climate emergency, the transition to renewable energy and women’s rights to land and other productive resources. Co-sponsored by GI-ESCR, Landesa, ProDESC and AIDA, this submission puts forward a series of language recommendations for the General Comment in order to deepen the analysis of these issues and strengthen key human rights standards that may help guide a just transition to low carbon, sustainable, and more gender-equal societies.

Submission 3: Privatisation, Commercialisation, Commodification and Financialisation of Land

Building on a second roundtable discussion that was co-convened by FIAN International and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 28 July 2021, this submission expands on the points made in the draft General Comment relating to the privatisation, commercialisation, commodification and financialisation of land and the impacts of these phemomena on economic, social and cultural rights, making several recommendations as to how the draft General Comment can be strengthened in this regard. This submission was co-sponsored by GI-ESCR, FIAN Germany, Lokichar Action Networks, the Society for International Development, the World Organization for Early Childhood Education, and former U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Mr Miloon Kothari.