WE, the Heads of States and Government of the African Union, meeting at our Thirteenth Ordinary Session in Sirte, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 1 to 3 July 2009;
REAFFIRMING the commitments we have made to poverty eradication with the view to raising the living standards of our peoples and the wellbeing of our future generations;
RECOGNISING the centrality of land to sustainable socio-economic growth, development and the security of the social, economic and cultural livelihoods of our people;
AWARE of the rich heritage of Africa’s land and related resources especially its unique natural eco-systems;
FURTHER AWARE of the diversity and complexity of the systems under which land and related resources are held, managed and used;
NOTING the diversity of issues and challenges facing access to, use and management of land resources; and the threat relating to land and related resources including those arising from changes in the global, political and economic environment;
