Fostering Resilience through Housing, Land, and Property Rights in Conflict-Affected Arab States

Reem Hawamdeh

Moderator

November 5, 2024 | 15:00 - 16:30

Multipurpose room 15

Palestinian Land Authority

Arabic

Reference:

NE 15-02

WUF12

Networking Events

Summary

The proposed partner-led event focuses on enhancing HLP rights as essential to the
recovery and sustainable development in the conflict-impacted countries such as
Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and the broader Arab region. This session
aims to address the severe impacts of conflicts on social tenure relationships and the
accompanying socio-economic and environmental crises, especially affecting
vulnerable populations.
Prolonged conflicts in these areas have disrupted the statutory and societal
mechanisms that were in place to protect HLP rights, making communities
susceptible to exploitation and displacement. The event is set to highlight both the
challenges and potential opportunities in safeguarding HLP rights amid ongoing
instability. It will emphasize the implementation of a rights-based approach within the
frameworks of international humanitarian law, and guidance notes such as the
Secretary General Guidance Note ‘The United Nations and Land and Conflict’.
The primary objectives of the event include illuminating the intricate issues
surrounding HLP rights in conflict zones, promoting peer-to-peer exchanges on
effective, community-focused strategies to address these challenges, and reinforcing
the importance of regulatory frameworks in these processes. Key discussions will
cover the direct impacts of conflict on HLP rights, the exploration of participatory
area-based approaches to mitigate these impacts, and the critical roles played by
various stakeholders including local and national authorities, civil society, and
academic institutions.
The expected outcome is fostering a deeper understanding and broaden the network
among stakeholders working on HLP rights in conflict-affected communities. The
event seeks to identify practical strategies and innovative solutions to protect HLP
rights and provide durable HLP rights solutions for social reconciliation and to act as
a catalyst for recovery. The collaboration across different sectors will also be
enhanced, to ensure a cohesive approach to HLP rights protection.

The event will strengthen the linkage between humanitarian, development, and
peace-building endeavors, demonstrating how integrated approaches can foster
resilience and support sustainable development through the enhancement and
promotion of HLP rights.
Targeted at policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and representatives from
international organizations, NGOs, civil society, and academia, the event will work on
driving forward the agenda for resilient community development where HLP rights
are acknowledged and upheld as a core element of recovery, peace, and sustainable
growth in the Arab region. The event will not be just an occasion for dialogue, but will
build on the Arab Land initiative as a platform for substantial collaborative efforts
towards sustainable and resilient development in areas marked by long-standing
conflicts.

Objectives

1. Illuminating Challenges and Opportunities: This objective focuses on highlighting
the complexities and potential paths forward in safeguarding HLP rights amidst
ongoing conflicts. It aims to deepen understanding of how conflict exacerbates
vulnerabilities and undermines traditional mechanisms for protecting HLP rights.
2. Fostering Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Exchange: The event will promote the sharing
of insights and practices concerning effective, participatory area-based approaches
to HLP right protection. This peer exchange aims to empower stakeholders at the
local level to implement community-driven solutions that address the HLP
challenges.
3. Reinforcing Rights-Based Approaches: Emphasizing the need for a rights-based
framework, this objective seeks to ensure that efforts to protect HLP rights are
grounded in international humanitarian law and other relevant normative frameworks.
4. Participatory Area-Based Approaches: Focuses on the identification and
exploration of community-centered approaches that support protection of HLP rights.
This includes discussing the role of existing regulatory frameworks in facilitating
these participatory methods and how they can be adapted to better meet the needs
of conflict-affected communities.
5. Role of Stakeholders in HLP Rights: Offers insights into the roles played by
various stakeholders, including local and national authorities, civil society, and
academic institutions, in fostering a whole-of-society approach to protecting and
promoting HLP rights.