“We have legitimate rights, but we do not have legal documents to prove them,” Massa Kone, a member of the Habitat International Coalition, said during the roundtable discussion titled “Community-led action for adequate housing, land and basic services in the face of the climate crisis” held by mass and civil society organizations within the framework of WUF13, APA reports.
He stated that recognition of collective public ownership rights over agricultural land has been achieved in Africa:
“However, this recognition has not been extended to residential land. Yet it is equally important for these rights to be recognized for residential land as well. Because this gives communities the opportunity to defend their rights. During demolitions and forced displacements, people are asked, ‘What rights do you have?’ We have legitimate rights, but we do not have legal documents to prove them. Therefore, we face difficulties in defending our rights. Recognition of these collective public rights gives communities a legal basis and allows them to negotiate in cases of demolition and displacement. At the same time, it strengthens their voice and helps them to be heard by policymakers.”
He believes that if certain rights are legally recognized, people will be able to defend their positions:
“Today, the problem is that there is a huge gap between legitimate rights and legally recognized rights. This issue must be resolved for both peace and stability. Because in order to struggle for development, people must first have decent living conditions. A person living in poor conditions and forced out of their home lives in fear. How can such a person participate in the development process? First, some fundamental problems must be solved. For this, states must respect people’s dignity and recognize their legitimate rights. This is the main issue that must be addressed before any other recommendations.”
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