REGIONAL INITIATIVES TO
IMPROVE LAND GOVERNANCE:
AFRICA
Joan Kagwanja, Chief,Land Policy Initiative
(LPI) ECA
Land related challenges -Africa
Colonial Legacy
Poor Governance
Cultural Practices
•Pluralistic property regimes
•State sovereignty over land
•Displacement
•Land allocation
•Discrimination against women
•Lack of representation
•Inalienable aspect land
•Communal land ownership
Inadequate/inappropriate
policies/legislation
•Centralized structures
•Lack of transparency
•Inadequate consultation
•Low access to info
•Corruption
•Elite capture//llandgrab
Poor/unresponsive
land administration
Low/Inadequate implementation
•High cost/long period to secure rights
•unfair land allocations
Unequal
land distribution
Insecure land/ natural resource
rights and tenure
Increased land
disputes/insecurity /vulnerability
Poor/insecure access to land/
increased vulnerability
Low
Investment on land
Poor/unsustainable
natural resource
management
Low agriculture
productivity/
development
Poor/ low urban
development
Increased food insecurity; low economic
development; increased poverty; natural
resource degradation
Poor
financial
resources
Low human
resource capacity
Poor land
Information
Systems (LIS),
A Regional Response to land
challenges?
Inadequate lessons
learning in policy
formulation/implemen
tation
Low political
will/commitment
by African govts
Lack of sustainable
donor support
ECA
AU-ECA-AfDB
Land Policy
Initiative
Build evidence, partnerships/
Synergies/coherence/
Commitment in support
of land Reforms
Cross-boarder aspects of land
related disputes/issues
Incoherent involvement
of actors/partners
Low political will/commitment
by African govts
Lack of sustainable
donor support
Inadequate lessons
learning in policy
formulation/implementati
on
Cross-boarder aspects of land
related disputes/issues
AU-ECA-AfDB
Land Policy
Initiative
Incoherent involvement
of actors/partners
Build evidence, partnerships/
Synergies/coherence/
commitment
in support of land Reforms
Framework/
guidelines
on land policy in
Africa (F&G)
Implementing
entity/
mechanism
Regional/continental
multi-stakeholder
assessments
dialogue, consultation and
consensus on land reform
AU Declaration
on land on Land Issues and
Challenges
Benchmarks/indic
ators
On land policy
and governance
Monitoring &
Evaluation
Framework with
Benchmarks/
indicators
Low political
will/commitment
by African govts
Lack of sustainable
donor support
Inadequate lessons
learning in policy
formulation/implem
entation
Cross-boarder aspects of land
related disputes/issues
AU-ECA-AfDB
Land Policy
Initiative
Incoherent involvement
of actors/partners
Build evidence, partnerships/
Synergies/coherence/commitment
in support of land Reforms
Framework/guidelines
on land policy in Africa
(F&G)
Implementing
entity/
mechanism
Increased political/
other commitment of
African governments
Resources,
technical
capacity,
synergies/
coordination
Regional/continental
multi-stakeholder assessments
dialogue, consultation and
consensus on land reform
Benchmarks/indicator
s
On land policy and
governance
AU Declaration
on land on Land Issues and Challenges
Increased
support of
Dev, partners
Timely/
appropriate
land policies;
effective
administration
Monitoring &Evaluation
Framework with
Benchmarks/indicators
Increased
monitoring
of reforms/processes
Improved land
governance
•Equity in land
distribution
•Secure land rights
•Reduced land
disputes
-Sustainable
NRM
-Agricultural
transformation
-urban
development
Low political
will/commitment
by African govts
Lack of sustainable
donor support
Inadequate lessons
learning in policy
formulation/implem
entation
Cross-boarder aspects of land
related disputes/issues
AU-ECA-AfDB
Land Policy
Initiative
Incoherent involvement
of actors/partners
Build evidence, partnerships/
Synergies/coherence/commitment
in support of land Reforms
Framework/guidelines
on land policy in Africa
(F&G)
Implementing
entity/
mechanism
Regional/continental
multi-stakeholder assessments
dialogue, consultation and
consensus on land reform
Benchmarks/indicators
On land policy and
governance
AU Declaration
on land on Land Issues and Challenges
Increased political/
other commitment of
African governments
Increased support
of development
partners
Resources,
technical
capacity,
synergies/
coordination
Timely/
appropriate
land policies;
effective
administration
Monitoring &Evaluation
Framework with
Benchmarks/indicators
Increased monitoring
of reforms/processes
Improved land
governance
•Equity in land distribution
•Secure land rights
•Reduced land disputes
-Agricultural
transformation
-urban
development
Stakeholders now agree on an
African land agenda
Guidelines
on LSLBI
•
Consensus on Africa’s agenda on Land governance
•
Enhanced knowledge of the challenges; gaps in
processes/institutions
• Dialogue on land policy related agenda to address challenges
• Partnerships and Commitment
•CSO/non state actors platform
•Donor Working Group
•Private sector??????
• Resource Mobilisation/partnerships
The African experience can provide
lessons for other regions?
• Building consensus on a land agenda with political
commitment
– AU- Framework & Guidelines
– CFS/FAO-Voluntary Guidelines
• Establishing an entity (LPI) to steer operations –
location? Strategy? Business Plan?
• Developing a mechanism for stakeholder
engagement (CSO, Farmers)
• A platform for enhancing partnerships, synergies
and coordination
• Monitoring and reporting framework—political
anchor
Priority areas for quick wins
LSLBI GOAL: Increase responsible investments on land to
contribute to agricultural transformation and sustainable social
and economic development
Key actions need:
• Adopt and adhered to regulatory frameworks - with respect
to LSLBI – policies; institutions; GP
• Enhanced capacities among all stakeholders involved in
assessment, negotiation and monitoring of processes relating
to LSLBI
• Enhance partnerships which promote solidarity, corporation
and mutual accountability established between and within
countries, regions
• Integrate land governance in the CAADP results framework
==monitoring framework for LSLBI
Targets: Regulatory framework for the governance of LSLBI as per
AU Guiding Principles adopted by 80% of countries targeted
by LSLBI by 2024
Indicators---MEF
Indicators
•Legal and institutional framework
• Land policy developed in a
participatory forum
• Land policy framework is
available with an action plan
that is realistic and has required
financial resources for
implementation
• Recognition of the continuum of
land tenure rights in rural and
urban areas are protected in
either statutory or customary
systems
• Institutions solely focused on
land issues (administration,
management) with clear
mandates
Security tenure of women
• Acknowledgement of women's
individual land rights in law either
through customary or statutory law
•
•
•
The law provides opportunities for
those holding land under
customary, group, or collective
tenure to fully or partially
individualize land ownership and
use.
Procedures for registration of tenure
are clearly specified, safeguarded,
and followed in practice
Proportion of women with
documented land rights
Indicators/2
•Equitable land systems
• Existence of formal mechanisms
for land management and land
administration
• Ease of registration of property
• Affordability of registration of
property
• % of Land (urban and rural) that is
registered
• % of communal land that is
registered
• Access to justice /recourse to
enforce land rights
• Percentage of landless /
homeless/squatting households
•Resource allocation
indicators
• Total amount, and % of
national budget
allocated to land sector
• % of land policy needs
covered by national
budget
• % of composition of
donor funds in national
land budget
• % of total land budget
allocated to training of
staff dealing with land
Indicators/3
•Land management systems
• Land is mapped and rights are registered
• Land acquisition generates few conflicts and these
are addressed expeditiously and transparently
• Public institutions involved in land acquisition
operate in a clear and transparent manner
• Incentives for investors are clear, transparent and
consistent
• There are direct and transparent negotiations
between right holders and investors
• Social and environmental requirements for large
scale investments in agriculture are clearly defined
and implemented
• There are avenues to lodge complaints if
agricultural investors do not comply with
requirements
Process of M&E
Role of Stakeholders in ME
Stakeholders
LPI
Role
 Work planning for M&E
 Coordination of processes and resource mobilization
 Presentation of M&E results to the AU Summit
 Consolidation of regional data
RECs
 Identification of relevant ministries, departments and
agencies that are custodians of land governance
reform data
 Coordination of M&E process at a regional level
including work planning and identification of technical
assistance that may be required
 Consolidation of data from Member States
Member States  Coordination of different actors for data collection (in
countries where there is limited support, RECs will
provide technical and management assistance to
drive the process at the country level)
 Stakeholder meeting for validation of data
Civil Society
 Data collection and validation of data
 Technical support at the country level
Thank you
http://www.uneca.org/lpi
Email: landpolicy@uneca.org