Mekong Region Land Governance

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Mekong Region Land Governance

MRLG works to improve tenure security for smallholder farmers in the Mekong Region. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.mrlg.org.

The Mekong Region Land Governance Project (MRLG) has been operating in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam since April 2014. The MRLG Project seeks to contribute to the development of appropriate land policies and practices in the Mekong Region, in response to national priorities such as reducing poverty, improving nutrition, increasing economic development, and assisting family farmers in making sound land use and land management decisions. MRLG is a project of the Government of Switzerland, through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), with co-financing from the Government of Germany and the Government of Luxembourg. FOLLOW US on
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LinkedIn: bit.ly/40KQFie

13/09/2025

🚨 The countdown is on — the 4th Mekong Regional Land Forum is just 4 days away!

The MRLG team is excited to welcome colleagues from across the Mekong region and beyond for three days of dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collective action toward a more just and sustainable future.

🎥 Check out this short video for a sneak peek of some of our speakers and the key themes we’ll be diving into:
✅ Land tenure security
✅ Climate resilience
✅ Responsible investment
✅ Gender equity

The Forum (17–19 September, Bangkok) will bring together government leaders, civil society, researchers, and development partners to explore inclusive, sustainable solutions for people, land, and climate.

✨ Join us online for free and contribute to shaping the future of land governance in the Mekong:

📅 17–19 September 2025
📍 Bangkok, Thailand

🔗 Register for FREE to participate online: https://landportal.org/landing-page/2025/07/registration-4th-mekong-regional-land-forum-2025

We can’t wait to see you at the Forum and hear your reflections!

Swiss Cooperation Mekong GIZ,German International Cooperation Land Portal

04/09/2025

“Integrating gender equity is not just something that should be done, it is a forward-looking strategy for inclusive development.” - Phean, National Director, Cambodia

“To ensure that all workers receive rights and working conditions that are appropriate to their needs and are free from discrimination, we see the importance of changing practices and considering policy measures to ensure consistency in practice.” - Man, Programme Coordinator, Oxfam Cambodia

In this interview, Asisah Man and Sophoan Phean highlight the need for gender-equitable labor practices and inclusive land governance in the Mekong. Oxfam Cambodia’s vital work with the Mekong Region Land Governance project has strengthened their conviction that gender equity is essential to justice, sustainability, and resilience.

Contribute to the conversation at the Mekong Regional Land Forum in September, and connect with our Land Governance colleagues to reflect on the MRLG alliance’s efforts toward inclusive and rights-based development and imagine a more equitable future for land governance in the region.

📅 17–19 September 2025
📍 Bangkok, Thailand

The Forum will bring together government leaders, researchers, civil society and development partners from across the region to explore solutions at the intersection of:
✅ Land tenure security
✅ Climate resilience
✅ Responsible investment
✅ Gender equity

🔗 Register for FREE to participate online: https://landportal.org/landing-page/2025/07/registration-4th-mekong-regional-land-forum-2025

Join us as we build momentum for effective land governance policy in the Mekong.

Swiss Cooperation Mekong , Oxfam in Cambodia LandEquityInternational, GRET, GIZ, Land Portal

03/09/2025

🎤 Speaker Spotlight: Akiko Inoguchi

🎉 We’re excited to welcome Akiko Inoguchi to the Mekong Region Land Forum 2025.

Akiko has worked extensively in South East Asia on forest and natural resource management focusing on areas like REDD+, participatory management, and land and resource tenure. We’re very happy to have Akiko lead one of our Day 1 sessions at the conference:

💬 Navigating Carbon Markets in the Mekong: Social integrity and local initiatives for nature-based, community oriented solutions

📆 17 September, 2PM ICT
The session unpacks the risks and opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in engaging in the carbon markets, with a specific focus on social integrity and tenure rights. The session will have an interactive component, where participants will exchange ideas and come up with practical recommendations for fair and inclusive climate action.

💡Akiko was featured on the Land Portal site when she spoke in an MRLG Project panel on social integrity in carbon markets at the World Bank Land Conference earlier this year. You can read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gSvsyayg

You can join us for the conference online for free!
🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gcUCtTxG

Swiss Cooperation Mekong, GIZ,German International Cooperation GRET, Land Equity International Pty Ltd., Land Portal

02/09/2025

🎉 MRLG is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 MRLG Photography Competition! 🏆

Grand Prize Winner: Hai Thinh

Cambodia Prize Winner: Kouy Socheat
Laos PDR Prize Winner: Willie Xaiwouth
Myanmar Prize Winner: Jerry Heilianmang
Vietnam Prize Winner: Nguyen Van Cuong

🙏 We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the photographers across the Mekong region who participated. Your powerful images capture the diversity and complexity of land governance issues throughout the region.

The winning entries, as well as the runners-up, will be featured in an exhibition at the forthcoming Mekong Regional Land Forum, taking place from 17–19 September in Bangkok, Thailand

The Forum will bring together government representatives, civil society organizations, and various stakeholders working in land governance. This event will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your work to a broad and influential audience committed to advancing equitable and sustainable land rights in the region.

The Forum and this exhibition reflects on Land Governance in the Mekong, and the strides that we have made as a region over the more than decade-long lifespan of the MRLG Project.

📸 Thank you for using your lens to shine a light on important land issues!

Swiss Cooperation Mekong ,Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, GRET, Land Equity International Pty Ltd Land Portal Foundation

28/08/2025

🌏 Join from anywhere! 🌏

We’ve partnered with Land Portal to bring the Mekong Regional Land Forum to you, wherever you may be! We’re excited to say that our main sessions will be live-streamed to allow our international colleagues to be in on all of the fun.

Join us from 17 - 19 September to tackle the Mekong’s most pressing land governance challenges. This year’s forum will focus on strengthening customary tenure rights as a catalyst for attracting responsible investment, sustainable development, and a just transition in the face of climate change.

We’d love to have you there! Use the link below to register yourself for the online portion of our event

🔗 https://lnkd.in/gb33Smv8

Land Equity International Pty Ltd, Swiss Cooperation Mekong Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, GRET, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Land Portal

26/08/2025

🎤 Speaker Spotlight: Hue Le

🎉 We’re excited to welcome Hue Le to the Mekong Region Land Forum 2025.

Hue is a leading voice on gender, land governance, and climate change in Vietnam. Her research shines a light on how macro policies intersect with deeply rooted social norms - especially for women and ethnic minorities.

💡Hue was interviewed on the Land Portal Foundation site where she talks about gender inequality and land governance in the Mekong. You can read the article here: bit.ly/47IYKuE

You can join us for the conference on 17-19 September online, for free!
🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gcUCtTxG

Land Equity International Pty Ltd, Swiss Cooperation Mekong, GRET, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Land Portal

21/08/2025

“Agroecology is more philosophical… a movement and implementation of sustainable agriculture. To me the agroecology approach can help the Lao production commodity [to reach] another level of the value, not just economic but also cultural and social.” Thatheva Saphangthing, DDG, DALAM, Laos.

“Agroecology should sit at the heart of just transition.” Nikka Rivera, AFA, Philippines.

Across the Mekong region, farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities are leading a powerful transformation, adopting agroecological practices that restore ecosystems, strengthen food sovereignty, and build resilience to climate change. This is the heart of a Just Transition - one that centers people, justice, and the planet.

This transition is not just about changing farming methods. It’s about reimagining who controls land, resources, and food. It means securing customary land tenure, especially for women, youth, and marginalized communities. It means shifting away from commodity-driven agriculture that displaces people and degrades nature, toward systems that value equity, dignity, and ecological balance.

Effective governance is critical to this shift - creating policies that protect land rights, enforce environmental standards, and attract responsible investments that serve communities, not exploit them. When governance is inclusive and accountable, it becomes a tool for justice, not exclusion.

📅 17–19 September 2025
📍 Bangkok, Thailand

The Mekong Regional Land Forum will bring together government leaders, researchers, civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and development partners to advance a shared vision:
✅ Land tenure security rooted in justice and tradition
✅ Climate-resilient agriculture through agroecology
✅ Responsible investment that respects people and ecosystems
✅ Gender equity at the center of land and food systems

🔗 Register to participate online: https://lnkd.in/gcUCtTxG

Join us as we come together to amplify community-led solutions, advance land rights, and build the foundation for a truly just transition.

Land Equity International Pty Ltd GRET Swiss Cooperation Mekong, Land Portal GIZ,German International Cooperation

14/08/2025

🌏 Theme Spotlight: Effective policy is crucial for sustainable land governance.

Policies are more than documents - they shape how communities respond and adapt to critical issues such as climate change, protect natural resources and the rights of affected communities, and help to ensure equity in matters related to land governance.

Across the Mekong, ambitious frameworks like the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture & Forestry, Policy Guidelines on Agroecology Transitions, and ASEAN Guidelines on Recognition of Customary Tenure are setting the stage for change. But translating these ambitions into binding, well-implemented national policies, and ensuring they address gender equity and inclusion, remains a challenge.

For over a decade, the MRLG Project and its partners have worked alongside governments, civil society, and local communities to drive evidence-based policy reforms that support indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, smallholder farmers, women, and other vulnerable groups.

At the Mekong Region Land Forum (17 - 19 September, Bangkok), we’ll discuss how effective policies can be designed and implemented to deliver results at scale - backed by real-world lessons from across the region.

🔍The big question: How can policies provide stronger incentives to turn ambition into action?

📅 Save the date and join the conversion → 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gb33Smv8

Land Equity International Pty Ltd GRET Land Portal Swiss Cooperation Mekong, GIZ,German International Cooperation

13/08/2025

📢 Hurry! Only 3 Days Left to Join the MRLG Photography Contest! 📢

Calling all photographers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam! This is your last opportunity to join a contest that celebrates the strength, culture, and resilience of the Mekong region.

We’re looking for photos to spark conversations around land rights, environmental sustainability, and community well-being. Ignite dialogue and inspire action with your own submission to the competition.

🥇 Winners will have their photographs exhibited at this year’s Mekong Regional Land Forum in Bangkok in September!

📸 Enter the competition here: https://lnkd.in/gDDZ4FGB

Equity International Pty Ltd, Land Portal, Swiss Cooperation MekongGIZ,German International Cooperation GRET

08/08/2025

🗓️ Deadline approaching!

📸 Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to showcase your work, connect with fellow photographers in the region, and be featured at the Mekong Regional Land Forum in September.

Click here to submit your entry:
👉🏼 tinyurl.com/4p4awbkp

Swiss Cooperation Mekong

07/08/2025

“When we come together, we share our knowledge. We give support to strengthen our struggle. It makes us realise that we are not alone. When we stand alone, we are weaker. But when we stand in unity, in solidarity, then we are stronger.” - Programme Manager Stony Sac, POINT Myanmar

In this video, Stony Sac from POINT Myanmar shares how legal recognition of Indigenous land rights is key to restoring ownership, strengthening conservation, and building solidarity across communities. Meet Stony and other key voices in the Mekong at the Mekong Regional Land Forum.

📅 17–19 September 2025
📍 Bangkok, Thailand

The Forum will bring together government leaders, researchers, civil society and development partners from across the region to explore solutions at the intersection of:
✅ Land tenure security
✅ Climate resilience
✅ Responsible investment
✅ Gender equity

🔗 Register to participate online: https://landportal.org/landing-page/2025/07/registration-4th-mekong-regional-land-forum-2025

Join us as we come together to discuss customary tenure and other important land issues in the Mekong.

Land Portal Swiss Cooperation Mekong

04/08/2025

🌏 Theme Spotlight: Strengthening land rights drives climate resilience

“Secure land tenure enables investment - not just financial, but emotional, cultural, and ecological. Indigenous communities, forest users, and smallholder farmers are far more likely to adopt sustainable and resilient practices when they feel secure on their land. For example, shifting from slash-and-burn to smart agricultural techniques requires trust that you won’t be displaced. And that trust is built through tenure security.” - Lim
At the Mekong Region Land Forum (17 - 19 September, Bangkok), we’ll dive into the linkages between good land governance and climate resilience, asking:
🔹 How can climate and biodiversity initiatives impact tenure rights in the Mekong region?
🔹 How are secure tenure rights a win-win for people and climate?
🔹 What are emerging opportunities for securing tenure and financing locally-driven solutions?

This theme will be discussed by IP&LC, conservation, government, and donor representatives and our MRLG Alliance Partners working to make land governance more just, resilient, and inclusive.

📅 Save the date and join us in Bangkok - or follow along online.
🔗 https://landportal.org/event/2025/07/4th-mekong-regional-land-forum

LandEquityInternational GRET Land Portal Swiss Cooperation Mekong

Address

Unit 11, House Number 262, Ban Saphanthong Kang, Sisattanak District
Vientiane
0100

Telephone

021454807

Website

https://mrlg.org/

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