Ms Joan Kagwanja (UN Economic Commission for Africa – ECA), illustrated the AU-ECA-AfDB Land Policy Initiative (LPI) aimed at developing a framework and guidelines for land policy in Africa.
The Initiative embarked on a rigorous roadmap involving assessment studies and consultations on land policy in Africa. That process, which involved a variety of stakeholders and partners, began in March 2006 and culminated in the development of a draft Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa.
The guidelines form a critical tool for African governments, donors, partners and stakeholders who are/seek to engage in land reform. A key lesson learnt from the process is the essential role of stakeholders’ inclusion in order to ‘get participation right’ in the process of reforms. Land policy development is a long-term process that will only succeed if there is demonstrable commitment on the part of state and other stakeholders.
