Ocaña, Colombia to become the global capital of youth leadership in land and territory

24 April 2025, Ocaña, Colombia

This global gathering will be held thanks to the joint efforts of international, national, and local organisations, including the International Land Coalition (ILC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of Colombia (FAO), the Catatumbo Youth Network, and the New Society Corporation of the Northeastern Region of Colombia (CONSORNOC). The Forum is also co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, the European Union, and the Center for Research and Popular Education (CINEP/PPP). The event is made possible with the support of the Diocese of Ocaña, the Ocaña Mayor's Office, the Association of Municipalities of Catatumbo, the Province of Ocaña and South Cesar, the Ocaña Chamber of Commerce, and the Francisco de Paula Santander University Ocaña.

The Global Land Forum for Youth will bring together around 100 young leaders from rural areas of Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, as well as representatives from governments, multilateral organisations, and civil society, to highlight and enhance the role of youth in peacebuilding, sustainable food systems, agrarian reform policies, and achieving climate justice.

A Designation with Deep Territorial Symbolism

The selection of Ocaña and the Catatumbo region as the venue for this Forum represents recognition of its cultural richness, historical resilience, and especially the commitment of its youth to social transformation. It will be a unique opportunity to highlight local experiences of resistance, social innovation, and peacebuilding, connected to global dynamics.

Youth as a Transformative Force

Currently, young people make up 56% of the world's population, with 90% living in developing countries. However, they face serious barriers to accessing land, participating in decision-making, and exercising their territorial rights, perpetuating structural inequalities and limiting their role in sustainable development.

In Colombia, these challenges are exacerbated by the impact of armed conflict, which has historically marginalised rural, indigenous, and Afro-descendant youth, reducing their capacity for influence and exposing them to risks such as forced displacement or armed recruitment. The 2025 Global Land Forum for Youth aims to open paths for effective participation for youth, with a special emphasis on those living in rural contexts.

A Commitment to Global Action from the Territory

Under the theme "Youth for Peace and Land Rights," the Forum aims to transcend traditional formats to ensure a leading, diverse, and inclusive participation of youth to position their analyses, visions, and proposals for change. Through collaborative sessions, knowledge exchanges, cultural spaces, and workshops, young participants will chart a global roadmap to work on defending their land and territorial rights, as well as contributing to the care of the planet in the face of the current climate and biodiversity crisis. Additionally, it will connect young people worldwide in a global network of Youth for Land Defence driven by the ILC and its allies.

The 2025 Global Land Forum for Youth is, above all, a strategic platform led by young people from around the world who come together to work towards the common goal of achieving a dignified life in their territories, with equitable and just access to land.

We call on young people from around the world, social movements, environmental organisations, and public and private institutions to stay tuned into this Forum, which seeks to inspire hope, action, and transformation from the territories.

The Global Land Forum for Youth as a Prelude to the Forum in Bogotá

The Global Land Forum for Youth in Ocaña is part of the preliminary events leading up to the 10th Global Land Forum, which will take place from June 16 to 19, 2025, in Bogotá. This flagship event, organised by the ILC every three years, is the largest global event dedicated to addressing land and territorial issues.

It will bring together 800 delegates from around the world representing peasant, Afro-descendant, women's, and rural youth organisations, Indigenous Peoples, and social movements. Given its relevance as a space for networking, mutual learning, and advocacy for land and territorial rights worldwide, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have included the 10th Global Land Forum as part of its 2025 Mobilisation Agenda, leading up to the 2nd International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20).

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For more information, contact: Antonio Carvajal, comunicaciones@consornoc.org.co, phone: 320478855