Law blogs
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Using legal tools to make agribusiness investments more accountable
19 June 2017A range of tools and approaches can support rural communities to exercise their rights and give them greater control over agribusiness deals that could affect their future, as a recent IIED webinar explored
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Using online technology to empower communities facing land deals
4 August 2016Online databases are proving a useful tool for communities facing large-scale agricultural investments and associated conflicts, as a recent IIED webinar discovered
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Next steps to strengthen global land governance
15 May 2016In 2012 there was a milestone international agreement on voluntary guidelines on the governance of land and tenure. The authors of a new progress report review the lessons learned about implementing the guidelines, and offer some recommendations for the future
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Governing the ungoverned 50% of the planet
11 April 2016Essam Yassin Mohammed reports back from the first round of a UN preparatory meeting to create an agreement on the sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas
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Enhancing women's role in land management decisions
24 March 2016Large-scale agricultural investments impact upon men and women in different ways, yet women's voices and interests are not always heard in decisions about land. An IIED webinar examined how this could be changed
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How investment treaties protect 'land grab' deals
17 February 2016New research examining the geographical coverage of international investment treaties raises concern about how they might affect public action to address 'land grabbing'
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Opening up land contracts
20 October 2015Many land deals are still kept secret. Will a new online resource change the game?
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Investment treaties and citizens' power: lessons from experience
7 September 2015There are growing calls to reform international investment law, but how can we ensure that the people affected by these decisions are part of the debate?
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Using the power of judiciary to protect people from climate change
24 July 2015A Dutch legal ruling sets a precedent on the need for national action on climate change – and hope for citizens seeking to hold their governments to account
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Investment treaties, land rights and a shrinking planet
8 July 2015Commercial land concessions may be protected under international investment law. Lorenzo Cotula argues that securing land rights requires tackling these global dimensions
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Using the law for resource justice
28 April 2015Large-scale resource development can threaten people's land and environment. Now a new initiative is bringing grassroots organisations together with international lawyers to fight for resource justice
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The rise of civil society advocacy on investment treaties in Malaysia and the Philippines
26 March 2015Investment treaties can have far-reaching implications for communities, but how can citizens in low- and medium-income countries influence their content? An IIED webinar examined the role of civil society advocacy on investment treaties in Malaysia, the Philippines and beyond
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On the road to Paris: departing Geneva with expectations high
16 February 2015Progress in Geneva has meant a good start to the climate negotiations on the road to Paris, with elements in the text offering the possibility of a fair deal for developing countries
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Why parliament should scrutinise the UK-Ethiopia BIT
19 January 2015The House of Commons has been debating the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). But will the UK parliament use its powers to debate a bilateral investment treaty signed with Ethiopia?
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Paving a path towards redressing grievances and holding investors accountable
7 January 2015How can remote communities with little formal education hold investors to account and seek redress when their rights to land and resources are threatened? An IIED webinar examined the role of grievance mechanisms
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It's time to end conservation injustice
17 November 2014Human injustices in the name of nature conservation have to become a relic of the past. It's time to get serious about human rights at the World Park Congress
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Human rights should be at the heart of investment policy making
20 October 2014If foreign investment is to promote inclusive sustainable development, investment policy must take human rights seriously
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Citizen power: Sustaining paralegal programmes to put knowledge back into communities' hands
14 October 2014Paralegal schemes build citizen power by helping communities develop the knowledge and capacity they need to speak up for themselves. A recent IIED webinar explored how such schemes can best be supported to make a long-term difference
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Europe's controversial TTIP treaty: The good, the bad and the unnecessary
10 July 2014Despite negotiations with the US proposing a more balanced text, the EU has yet to make a compelling case over the investment chapter of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
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Investor-state arbitration: Lessons from civil society advocacy
19 May 2014How can civil society promote public awareness and scrutiny? Two civil society practitioners recently shared their experiences during IIED's second Legal Tools webinar
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Striking down adverse investment laws: success stories from Indonesia
25 March 2014How is it possible to challenge laws that promote investment but adversely affect the rights of local communities? Two legal empowerment practitioners from peasants' rights and indigenous peoples organisations in Indonesia recently shared their experiences during IIED's first Legal Tools webinar.
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Tackling the trade law dimension of ‘land grabbing’
14 November 2013As trade talks regain momentum, ‘land grab’ activists are scrutinising negotiations and pioneering new opportunities for public accountability.
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US Supreme Court dims a light in corporate accountability
1 May 2013A recent US judgment is a setback in efforts to improve corporate accountability, but promising developments elsewhere are creating new opportunities.
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Is the tide turning for Africa’s investment treaties?
8 March 2013A new Canada-Benin investment treaty contains more balanced provisions than most. But a real shift in treaty making requires African governments and civil society to seek a better deal for themselves.
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Invest in farmers, not in farmland
22 February 2012"Land grabs" are now one of the biggest issues in Africa.