CELEP - Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism

The Members of the Coalition work together to lobby their national governments, European Union (EU) bodies (Council, Parliament and Commission) as well as other policy-formulating bodies/ agencies in Europe (e.g. the European Headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva and the FAO in Rome) to explicitly recognise and support pastoralism (and the people who practise pastoralism: pastoralists) in the drylands of Eastern Africa.

Priority lobbying issues. In its activities to lobby and inform the EU and its Member States, CELEP chose at its outset to focus on:

1. Recognition of pastoralism as a valuable & viable livelihood system that contributes to national & regional economies, food security, employment & sustainable management of natural resources
2. Mobility as a crucial condition for sustainable pastoralism and for community security in conflict areas, also across national borders
3. Pastoralists’ rights of access to and management of natural resources (land, vegetation, water etc), also as a contribution to community security in conflict areas
4. Pastoralism as a positive example of resilience in adapting to climate change.