Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 27 June 2014 (ECA) – The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Carlos Lopes, and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mr. Graziano da Silva, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides a framework for collaboration between the two institutions.
Mr. Lopes noted that the MOU reaffirms the determination of FAO and ECA to collaborate, in the significant context of shaping the post-2015 development agenda, for which Africa is getting ready with the adoption of a common position translated into the African Development Goals.
“I would like to reiterate the special closeness between our two institutions, and it is true that in terms of institutional arrangements Africa should be most visible. The MOU is a very important contribution, which goes beyond sectoral responsibilities,” the Executive Secretary added.
One of the principal objectives of the MOU is to promote comprehensive and effective land policies, and the governance of tenure in Africa, with a view to ensure that all land users, especially vulnerable and marginalized groups, have equitable access to and security of tenure of land, fisheries, and forests.
Another major objective of the MOU is to provide support to African Member States and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the development, implementation, and monitoring of sustainable and effective land policies, in line with two major documents guiding land governance.
The first document, the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa (F&G), was developed by the Land Policy Initiative (LPI), a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, ECA, and the African Bank for Development (AfDB), whose Secretariat is hosted by the ECA. The F&G was adopted in March 2009 by African Ministers in charge of Agriculture, livestock and land, and further endorsed by the African Heads of State and Government, through the Declaration on land issues and challenges in Africa, during the AU Summit in July 2009.
The second document, developed with technical support and coordination provided by FAO, is the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT). Many of the considerations in the VGGT address issues that are fundamental elements of land policies, at a global level.
The MOU lays the foundation for country-level implementation of the AU Declaration on Land, and the improvement of the governance of tenure in line the F&G and in coherence with the VGGT. It also provides a formal a basis for the two institutions to engage in joint programming and activities, and collaborate in building partnerships and mobilizing resources.
The MOU signing ceremony took place at the Sipopo Conference Center, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, and it was an event alongside the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government.
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