National-level adoption of international standards on expropriation, compensation, and resettlement:a comparative analysis of national laws enacted in 50 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America

Abstract

This book presents the first-ever comprehensive assessment of whether national laws enacted in 50 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America comply with international standards on expropriation, compensation, and resettlement as established in Section 16 of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGTs). The VGGTs are supported by the international consensus of governments, civil society, and the private sector. The UN Committee on World Food Security officially endorsed the VGGTs in 2012. This book uses indicators to compare laws with international standards. Illustrative examples of how expropriation laws are implemented in practice, including a case study of Nigeria’s Lekki Free Trade Zone expropriation case, are provided to highlight the importance of adopting international standards. Along with establishing a benchmark for measuring progress that indicates most of the national laws assessed do not comply with international standards, this book offers a set of recommended legal reforms that support the adoption of international standards in national laws