
APN | Riyadh
6 – 7 December 2024
Mariam Al Jaajaa, APN General Manager, emphasized the importance of country ownership over land-related policymaking, free from donor conditionality. This approach, she explained, fosters political will and trust among stakeholders, which are critical for reforming land policies in the Arab region. Al Jaajaa shared these insights during her address at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh.
Al Jaajaa highlighted how land laws and economic liberalization, initiated during the colonial era and perpetuated under the influence of international financial institutions, have contributed to land degradation and increasing inequality. These dynamics have severely impacted small-scale farmers and ecosystems.
She also warned that dismantling collective land rights exacerbates conflicts and poverty and stressed the need to prioritize food sovereignty and protect agricultural lands from urban sprawl. With the Arab world being one of the largest food importers and 30% of its population facing food insecurity, she underscored the urgency of these measures.
Al Jaajaa brought attention to the root causes of land degradation, including Israeli settler colonialism and the ongoing genocide and ecocide in Gaza. Since October 2023, over 85,000 tons of bombs have been dropped on Gaza, resulting in catastrophic loss of life and environmental destruction. These actions have produced more than 900,000 tons of toxic waste and radioactive materials, posing severe environmental and health risks.
Quoting a message from APN’s representative in northern Gaza, Al Jaajaa shared: “By a miracle of God, we survived these 60 days of intense bombardment. They used weapons that vaporize peopled and demolished homes. Despite this, we managed to plant and distribute vegetables to thousands of besieged families”.
This session was organized by FAO, UN-Habitat, and the International Land Coalition, featuring participation from several country ministers and Professor Ibrahim Al-Dukhairi, Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development at the League of Arab States.
During her contribution to a UN-Habitat panel titled “Restoring land, restoring peace”, Al Jaajaa provided a comprehensive analysis, stating that the region has some of the highest levels of land tenure inequality globally, with one of the lowest per capita shares of arable land. Open lands are becoming increasingly scarce due to the commodification of land—a practice rooted in colonial times—turning it into a fundamental driver of conflicts.
She critiqued Western academic perspectives on land and conflict in the Arab region for their superficiality, relying on ethnic narratives while ignoring the deeper causes of land disputes. Al Jaajaa reiterated the importance of the Triple Nexus Approach, promoted by the UN and donor states but inconsistently applied, particularly in Gaza and the region. This framework links short-term humanitarian relief, long-term sustainable development, and peacebuilding while addressing the root causes of crises.
She called for stronger accountability and enforcement of international law and extraterritorial obligations, including incorporating ecocide into legal frameworks. The session also featured a panel discussion with prominent experts and practitioners, who shared case studies from Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.