DS has just published a major 184-page legal report on the land grabbing in Myanmar and how these processes constitute internationally wrongful acts. The report includes a 21-step legal roadmap to end land grabbing once and for in Myanmar, a nation that is one of the worst in the world in  Although the general power of States to compulsorily acquire, expropriate or otherwise confiscate or 'grab' land, homes and properties is legislatively recognised in virtually all national legal systems, to be lawful these processes generally carry with them five fundamental pre-conditions. Namely, when housing, land or property rights are revoked or limited through these processes, this can only be carried out when the taking concerned is:             1) subject to law and due process;             2) subject to the general principles of international law;             3) in the interest of society and not for the benefit of another private party;             4) proportionate, reasonable and subject to a fair balance test between the cost and the aim sought; and             5) subject to the provision of just and satisfactory compensation. In all countries, the act of compulsorily acquiring land is highly regulated and something which rights-respecting governments are often reluctant…...

On 18 August 2019, the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States will celebrate their sixth anniversary. The ravages of climate change and climate displacement continue to worsen, and in many respects are turning out to be more rapid, more severe and more widespread than initially predicted. We developed the Principles in 2013 to provide a clear framework grounded in pre-existing human rights law to enable governments to develop the policies and laws needed to protect the rights of the millions of people who will have to leave their homes because of climate change. While the world has a great distance to travel in transforming the ideals of the Principles into reality, to date they have taken root in an ever-growing array of institutions and agencies, with countless statements in support of the Principles coming from far and wide over the past six years, including many of the key officials within the UN working to address climate displacement. UN Climate Change Envoy (and former Irish President and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), Mary Robinson noted that "States facing climate-related displacement within their borders require significant financial support and technical expertise to develop solutions that provide for the rights of those affected. The Peninsula…...

Growing numbers of people are losing their homes and lands every day because of the effects of climate change. Climate displacement is happening now, and has been happening for many years. With some notable exceptions, the vast majority of governments the world over have thus far failed to protect the rights of climate displaced families and only a handful of States have policies and programmes in place to protect this new wave of displacement, which will be far, far larger than displacement associated with conflict and instability.  DS and our partners Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) in Bangladesh established The One House, One Family at a time project (OHOF) several years ago to provide quality homes to some of the most vulnerable climate displaced families in eastern Bangladesh. To date we have built four houses, with four additional houses under construction now. OHOF's third phase will commence in 2020 with the aim of constructing a further 12 homes, culminating in a total of 20 homes by the end of next year. With an average of five or six people per house, OHOF will have provided permanent new homes to more than 100 people by the end of 2020. Virtually…...

Though Myanmar/Burma has undergone unprecedented political change in recent months, the country is currently grappling with a severe land grabbing and speculation crisis. The DS Director, Scott Leckie, was requested to provide guidance to the Government about how to address these pressing issues, the views of which are contained in a guidance note on land grabbing and speculation which can be viewed here. DS' landmark study Myanmar at the HLP Crossroads will be released in the coming weeks....