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	Securing the Commons by International Land Coalition   Securing Property, Securing Livelihoods   With global poverty reduction at the forefront of global discussions, a better understanding of common property regimes and more action to secure access and tenure to common property are needed. An estimated 2 billion people live on the world’s commons, drawing their subsistence-based livelihoods from these lands.   The failure of states to recognize and legitimize access to the commons has led to the privatization of historically common lands, leading to the dispossession of large numbers of the rural poor, including indigenous peoples and women.   The commons play an important role in securing the livelihoods of the most vulnerable and poorest members of society. It is on the commons that resource users have the least tenure security and right of access. It is here that resource users often suffer the least tenure security.   It is also on the commons that many of the ‘bottom billion’ live, drawing on the commons for their livelihoods and subsistence. The failure of states to recognize and legitimize access to the commons has led to the privatization of historically common lands, leading to the dispossession of large numbers of the rural poor, including indigenous peoples and women.   Common property regimes allocate rights of ownership, management, use, exclusion, or access of a shared resource to a collective user group.   The common-pool resources within the commons may be used and controlled by individuals or by groups; multiple rights to the same resource may exist, creating complex systems that regulate seasonal use and other use patterns. For example, a commonly-held forest area can be used for timber, fodder, fruit, firewood and other forest products.   The dynamic and complex nature of the multiple use character of common property regimes makes it difficult for governments to develop policies and regulations protecting common lands. In most cases, rights to resources and tenure on common property are not secure.   Furthermore, the commons and people’s abilities to access resources therein are facing a number of threats. These threats can be categorized into a few thematic areas such as market-related development, population pressures, legal inadequacies, ambiguous government policies, and conflict.   Strengthening the security of access to the commons is critical for the long-term survival of the millions of people who rely on common property for their livelihoods. Securing access has taken different forms including legislative and policy reform, decentralization of state authorities, support of local institutions, and collective action initiatives.   The International Land Coalition (ILC) works to Promote Tenure Security and Access   ILC aims to strengthen the capacity of local institutions, civil society organizations, and non-governmental organizations to promote tenure security for those whose livelihoods are based on the use of common property.   Supporting collective action and community organization can increase the ability of community groups to successfully negotiate secure access and tenure to the commons. Additionally, ILC seeks to increase the visibility and capacity of local, rural institutions who advocate on behalf of securing the commons.   ILC’s role is to identify the lessons and interventions that can elevate the status of common property systems. ILC will gather and analyze reports to assist member organizations in promoting tenure security. Visit the related web page
	The real economy must take driver’s seat in the global economy by Juan Somavia International Labour Organization   September 14, 2011   The Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Mr. Juan Somavia, said the time has come to “place the real economy in the driver’s seat of the global economy, with a financial system at its service”.   “This means putting productive investment in the real economy at the heart of policymaking; an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises; and less availability of unproductive and risky financial products”, Mr. Somavia told members of the European Parliament during an address in Strasbourg.   “Within the European Union, you are facing major employment and social challenges, of working poverty, precarious work, low pay, social exclusion, long term unemployment. When employment is in tatters, our families and communities suffer”, he said.   The ILO Director-General said it was time to recover the trust of people, especially the younger generations, and to address the rising inequalities, not only in terms of income and wealth, but also in terms of education, health, housing and access to credit. Dealing with short-term challenges requires fiscal consolidation that is socially responsible.   He particularly underlined that crises should not be taken as an excuse to weaken basic labour rights and the application of ratified ILO conventions. Mr. Somavia cited the example of Greece, where unions have submitted information to the ILO on alleged violations of its conventions, adding that the ILO’s tripartite members had asked him to send a high-level mission to Greece.   Mr Somavia said a new mindset was needed to create the type of policies that will lead towards more efficient patterns of growth and more decent work.   These include switching to income-led patterns of growth, making full employment a key macroeconomic priority, focusing on small enterprises, promoting social dialogue, the autonomy of collective bargaining and a better link between wages and productivity, respecting labour standards, and creating a social protection floor for all.   He said all these policies must be underpinned by a coherent rules-based international system: “Today in the United Nations system, there are three key policy-making organizations – WTO on trade, IMF on finance and the ILO on labour markets. The rules and standards developed by each one need to be applied in a coherent manner. This is not the case today.”   Mr. Somavia said the upcoming G20 leaders meeting in Cannes presented a unique opportunity for leaders to reconnect with the real economy and their decisions adopted two years ago in Pittsburgh, when they set the objective of “putting quality work at the heart of the recovery”.   Mr. Somavia said the ILO and EU were cooperating on child labour, labour migration, trade and employment, but said in other areas increased cooperation would be beneficial. In this respect, Mr. Somavia referred to the recommendation of the European Policy Crisis Committee on closer cooperation between the ILO, the EU and the IMF in financial assistance programmes.   “Cooperation between the EU and the ILO can also be beneficial to your member countries struggling to overcome deep economic and financial crises leading to severe austerity measures and conditionalities”, he said. Visit the related web page
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