Addis Ababa, 25 April 2016 - The Land Policy Initiative - Civil Society Organizations (LPI-CSO) Platform organized a two-day workshop to validate thematic papers that will form the basis of an advocacy agenda for the LPI-CSO working groups. The workshop was a side event to the High Level Forum on United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management, held in Addis Ababa under the theme “Good land governance for the 2030 Agenda”.
“The meeting provided a conducive environment to reflect on the opportunities and challenges associated with a more effective engagement of CSOs in the implementation of the African Union agenda on land,” said Mr. Stephen Karingi, Director of the Regional Integration and Trade Division of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Mr. Karingi assured participants that reflections and recommendations issued during the workshop will be examined and considered with needed attention by the LPI Steering Committee.
The meeting discussed and validated issue papers on selected land thematic areas, and endorsed a two-year action plan, related fundraising strategy, and roles and responsibilities of the LPI-CSO Platform. Meeting participants identified key recommendations and advocacy priorities for the following three years, grouped in the following six thematic areas: women’s land rights, customary tenure, natural resources management, monitoring and evaluation, large-scale land-based investments (LSLBIs), and transparency and accountability.
Among others, the workshop recommended that the LPI-CSO platform engage with the debates around the need for people-centered data for improved land governance, and appropriate monitoring and evaluation. It was also recommended that the platform support the development of a strategy for the promotion of the Guiding Principles on LSLBIs at national levels. The workshop equally stressed the importance for LPI to facilitate the development of a specific document focused on customary tenure issues across the continent.
“During the workshop we have all worked in a constructive, supportive manner, which shows the maturity of all partners involved in this process,” appreciated Mr. Amadou Kanouté, Executive Director of CICODEV Africa.
The meeting brought together about 40 CSO representatives from all regions of the continent, and was sponsored by the International Land Coalition (ILC) with support from LPI.
The Land Policy Initiative is a joint programme of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its mandate is to facilitate the implementation of the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges in Africa.