Land Policy in West Africa

The African Union will hold a regional consultative workshop on land policy in West Africa from the 15th to the 18th of April, 2008 in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso.

Recognizing that there is a wealth of information already available based on research findings and the experience of the many actors involved in developing and implementing land policies on the continent and elsewhere, the African Union Commission (AU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) joined forces to harness the efforts of various actors, with a view to developing viable mechanisms for facilitating the flow of knowledge, lesson sharing, innovative resource mobilisation strategies, and enhancing political will; all critical to catalysing the formulation and implementation of land policy, legislative and institutional reforms on the continent.

The workshop will aim to reach a consensus on the:
• Regional specificities, initiatives and lessons that should be included in the continental framework;
• Knowledge, institutional and resource gaps as well as lessons from on-going land initiatives in the region, critical to identifying capacity needs and developing strategies for implementation; and
• Key elements necessary for the development of benchmarks and indicators, and mechanisms for assessing performance of land processes in the region.

Specifically, the AU-ECA-AfDB Land Policy Initiative therefore aims to :
• Support national, regional and international efforts so as to catalyse sound land policy formulation and implementation in Africa.
• Work in close collaboration with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other stakeholders engaged in a process of developing a framework and guidelines for land policy in Africa; supported by benchmarks and indicators for assessing performance of land policy formulation and implementation processes.

The Land Policy Initiative process is grounded in a roadmap that recognises the central role of regional multi-stakeholder consultations aimed at gaining consensus on the key elements that should constitute the framework, guidelines, benchmark and indicators for land policy, legislative and institutional reforms.

The critical steps in the roadmap include:

a) A continental consultative workshop;
b) An Expert Group Meeting on Benchmarks and Indicators;
c) Regional assessments and consultations;
d) A continental Meeting of African experts
e) African Ministers responsible for land; and
f) AU Heads of State and Government Summit

Expected outcomes:

The key outcome of the regional consultations will be an enhanced regional background document whose elements will enrich the draft continental framework and guidelines, and inputs to the development of relevant benchmarks and indicators.

Participants: The Workshop will bring together a wide-range of stakeholders on land issues in the region, drawn from:

• National governments,
• Civil society,
• Traditional leaders ,
• Private sector,
• Centres of excellence, and
• Development partners.


Background:

In view of the importance of addressing land related challenges to facilitate broad-based economic growth and social development as well as ensure peace and security, the majority of African governments have embarked on land policy and institutional reforms in the last two decades. Most of these reforms aim to address the twin challenges of providing a sound basis for strengthening property rights so as to facilitate investment and the generation of economic opportunities while at the same time guaranteeing security of access to land for the rural and urban poor as a basis for secure livelihoods, improved food security and peace. A review of progress made by African governments in the formulation and implementation of sound land policies shows a wide variation among African countries in terms of progress made.

Some countries are still at the initial stages of land policy development while others have relatively new policies that are yet to be fully implemented in order to realize meaningful results on the ground. A further examination of the underlying constraints behind this slow progress points to many factors such as insufficient expertise, knowledge and resources to facilitate formulation and implementation processes, as well as inadequate long-term commitment and political will by key stakeholders.

CONTACTS: Dr. Emmanuel Tambi
Ag. Head, Rural Economy Division,
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture,
African Union Commission.
Tel: 251 11 551 7700 Ext. 115.
E-mail: ;

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