The Human Rights Impacts of Tree Plantations in Niassa Province, Mozambique

This study investigates the impairing of the rights of peasant communities through the establishment of tree plantations in Niassa province, Mozambique. More particularly, it looks at the impacts of the operations of Chikweti Forests of Niassa on the local population in the districts of Lago, Lichinga and Sanga. In order to do so, it presents an introductory chapter on the general context of Mozambique and the legal framework. This legal framework will serve as a basis on the analysis of the findings of this study using a human rights approach. It contains an overview of national and international provisions relevant to the case. This includes Mozambican national legislation and policies, as well as standards under international human rights law. Regarding the latter, it puts a particular focus on extraterritorial obligations (ETOs), recently clarified by the Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations, and includes provisions related to access to land and related resources, as contained in the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests.