Jérémy Gilbert, an expert on Indigenous Peoples’ land rights law, correctly states:

„In most societies nomadic peoples face discrimination. At the heart of this discrimination frequently lies the crucial issue of property in land.“

My presentation will analyse why nomadic peoples have been regarded as having no rights over lands, although access to land has always been an important aspect of their way of life and even been essential for their cultural and physical survival.  The presentation will further discuss international human rights developments, leading to a recognition of the rights of nomadic peoples over their lands, and analyse these development in the context of China’s minority politics.