Minister Huur wants concrete steps towards statutory recognition of land rights in 2027

Minister Miquella Huur of Regional Development (RO) wants to prevent the meeting from being limited to discussions and recommendations without further implementation. On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the minister held consultations with her ministry’s Land Rights Committee. During the meeting, preparations for the conference were discussed and various issues were identified that need to be worked out in advance.

Traditional governance and demarcation of living areas central

One of the main topics is the determination and recognition of traditional governance within Indigenous and tribal communities. Clarity must also be obtained on the demarcation of traditional residential and living areas.

The application of the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) will also receive special attention. This principle means that communities can give their consent in advance, freely and based on sufficient information, to decisions affecting their rights and living areas. According to the ministry, these issues must have an important place during the conference, so that work carried out earlier can be translated into concrete follow-up steps.

Bringing together legislation from 2019 and 2021

Another important part of the preparations is the further development of land rights legislation. The ministry wants to bring together the existing legislative processes from 2019 and 2021 into one coherent draft law. Previous recommendations must be incorporated in this process. The aim is to establish a legal framework that can contribute to the legal recognition of the collective land rights of Indigenous and tribal peoples.

Communities to be consulted in advance

Workshops and consultation rounds will be organised ahead of the National Land Rights Conference. Indigenous and tribal communities, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and other stakeholders will be involved.

The results of these consultations must guide the content and objectives of the conference. The ministry also wants to work with national and international partners to support the process.

This approach is intended to prevent important issues from being raised only during the conference, without sufficient consultations having taken place beforehand.

Minister calls for concrete action plan

Minister Huur has instructed the Land Rights Committee to further develop the points discussed into a concrete action plan. The minister thus emphasises the importance of a results-oriented conference. The meeting must not only provide room for consultations, but must also result in implementable recommendations and clear follow-up steps towards legal recognition of land rights.

The Land Rights Committee is chaired by Sharma Betterson-Leefland. Riedo Banai is vice-chair. The other members are Angele Noordwijk, Jafna Zandveld and Vanity Cairo. With preparations for 2027, the ministry wants to move the land rights issue forward to a phase in which existing proposals and recommendations can be converted into concrete legislative steps.