Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) promote secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests as a means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the environment. This work builds on and supports the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security (Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food), which were adopted by the FAO Council at its 127th Session in November 2004, and the 2006 International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD). The VGGT were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in May 2012. The Guidelines were developed through a broad global partnership of international, regional and national organizations of different types that work together to achieve global changes in governance of tenure. The development followed an inclusive process involving a series of consultations and negotiations. The VGGT provide a framework that States can use when developing their own strategies, policies, legislation, programs and activities. They allow governments, civil society, the private sector and citizens to judge whether their proposed actions and the actions of others constitute acceptable practices. The VGGT have 169 provisions, covering 23 topics encompassing five major themes: (1) General Matters (Principles); (2) Legal Recognition and Allocation of Tenure Rights; (3) Transfers and Changes to Tenure; (4) Administration of Tenure; and, (5) Responses to Climate Change and Disasters. The VGGT is one of the very few international documents that directly addresses the protection of tenurial rights in the event of climate change and disasters. It urges States to consider tenure aspects of land, fisheries and forests in preventing, preparing for, and responding to disasters, as well as in reconstructing and rehabilitating after the occurrence of disasters. The directly relevant provisions are Section 23 on Responses to Climate Change, and Section 24 on Responses to Natural Disasters. In addition, Sections 7 to 10 provide for the legal recognition and allocation of tenure rights and duties. Section 10 on informal tenure is also particularly important, as those without legally-recognized tenure are often most at risk on the impacts of climate change.