Mexico: protecting land rights for displaced communities

Land disputes are a major cause of displacement in Oaxaca, Mexico. Many people live on communal or ejidal land. Ejidal land is land that is owned and managed by a community rather that by one person. When land information is incomplete or difficult to access, it can be harder for communities to protect their homes and land rights.

We work together with local and national partners to improve land governance and access to land information. The project supports the implementation of the 2025 Oaxaca Law on Internal Displacement. We help strengthen the capacity of public institutions, improve land information management and test community-based mapping approaches. This helps communities at risk of displacement and internally displaced persons (IDPs) better protect their housing, land and property rights.

Reliable land information is essential to protect the rights of people affected by displacement.

Karel Boers - International Portfolio Manager at Kadaster International

More about this project

Main goals

The project aims to:

strengthen land rights protection for people affected by displacement
improve the accessibility and quality of land information in Oaxaca
support the implementation of the Oaxaca IDP Law
strengthen cooperation between land governance institutions
increase awareness of land rights among vulnerable communities

Duration of the project

October 2026 - January 2028

Our partners

This project is lead by Kadaster International in collaboration with:

Coordinación para la Atención de los Derechos Humanos de Oaxaca
Registro Agrario Nacional
UNHCR Mexico
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mexico
Local authorities and community representatives in Oaxaca

Our approach

The project follows a 2-phase apporach:

The inception phase: Together with our partners, we’ll assess land information needs, institutional capacities and opportunities for intervention.
The implementation phase: This phase focusses on community mapping, institutional strengthening and policy support. Throughout the project, we pay special attention to women-headed households and indigenous communities. These groups often face extra challenges in accessing land rights.

Expected results

The project will deliver:

a needs assessment and gap analysis of existing land information systems and institutional capacities
a participatory community mapping pilot in a selected area of Oaxaca
capacity-building activities for land governance institutions and human rights authorities
policy recommendations that help translate the Oaxaca IDP Law into practical action

News

News item: Monique Sueters new chair of the executive board of Kadaster

July 13, 2026

As of 1 July, Monique Sueters (52) has been appointed as chair of the executive board of Kadaster.

Contact

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

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