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Benchmarks and Indicators inSupport of Land Policy and LandAdministration Reforms in Africa

Brave Ndisale, AUC

Joan Kagwanja, ECA

Environment Indicators Workshop

July 16-20, 2007

UNCC, ECA

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A Pan African Framework onLand Policy-Overview

AUC-ECA-ADB Led Initiative

Brave Ndisale

DREA/AUC

Workshop on Environmental Statistics

16-20 July 2007

Addis Ababa,

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Outline

Rational for a Pan-Africa Framework on landissues

Main Functions of the framework

Roadmap/Critical Steps

Status and achievements

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Rationale: Importance of land in Africa

Land is important to Africa’s economic, socialand political development as well asenvironmental management: Secure land rights is a the basis for Economic

investment and economic growth (Economic)

If well- governed and managed, land is a meansfor poverty reduction and inequalities (social)

Better governance of land resources (e.g.decentralized management) and renewal of landinstitutions is vital to peace, security andparticipatory democracy (political)

Sound Land policy/management is necessary forenvironmental management and existingcommitments (Environmental)

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Initiative is rooted within the framework of NEPADand is based on four pillars: Economic, Social,Political and Environmental

Potential value added of an African wide approach ingenerating resources/ capacity to tackle land issues

Land policy and reform are a means of integration atdifferent levels helping to facilitate Africanintegration

A pan-African initiative can help facilitate peerlearning, knowledge exchange and monitoring landpolicy reforms e.g. through the APRM/NEPAD

Rationale: Why a pan-Africaninitiative?

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Main Functions of the Framework

Provide a basis for political commitment byAfrican nations and build programmes ofcommon action for sound land policies

Gain commitment of the internationalcommunity in establishing a lasting frameworkfor funding land policy and administrativereforms

Develop clear guidelines and benchmarks withindicators of good practice for land policy andinstitutional reforms

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Main Functions of the Framework cont’d

Promote constructive treatment of landissues within the CAADP framework tofacilitate agricultural transformation

Promote programmes for securing urbanland rights to support urban growth anddevelopment of peri-urban areas

Make land policies and the performance ofland institutions subject to the African PeerReview Mechanism

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Road Map/Critical Steps

o A continental Consultative Workshop (March 2006)

o Land Policy benchmarks and Indicators development(on-going)

o Regional Assessments and Consultations (on-going)

o African Experts/Ministers Meeting (March 2008)

o Summit of African Heads of State and Government(July 2008)

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Stakeholders

Participatory process involving stakeholders:

Land users: smallholder farmers, pastoralists,natural resource users, urban dwellers andinvestors

National level: sectoral ministries, land agenciesand institutions, local government

Traditional authorities and customary institutions

Pan African institutions

African Union; Economic Commission for Africa;African Development Bank

Regional Economic Communities

Donor Agencies

Research and Training Institutions

Civil Society

Regional Networks

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Status of Implementation

Consultative meeting March 2006

African Experts Meeting/completion ofbackground document

Experts Group Meeting on Land indicators

Regional assessments underway---Consultations upcoming

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Achievements so far

Support to Kenyan Land policy formulationprocess—review of draft document andrecommendations up taken prior to parliament

Capacity building in Support of SADC land facility--ongoing

Successful synergies with UN agencies working inAfrica on land issues

Advocacy for Land issues—e.g. discussed inECOSOC ministerial forum in Geneva, July 2007

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Thank you!!

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Developing Benchmarks andIndicators in support of Land

Reforms

AUC-ECA-ADB Land Policy Initiative

Joan Kagwanja

FSSDD/ECA

Workshop on Environmental Statistics

16-20 July 2007

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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EGM on Land Indicators: Objectives/1

Approach for developing regional andnational land indicators, for themeasurement of the performance ofcountries in the implementation of theirland policies and related reforms

Initial list of benchmarks and Indicatorsfor measuring progress in addressing keyland issues in Africa state sovereignty over land; duality of property

systems; protecting the commons; tenuresecurity; land distribution; landadministration; policy implementationprocesses;

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EGM on Land Indicators: Objectives/2

Inputs necessary to transforming the Concept Noteinto a viable background document for thedevelopment of benchmarks and indicators

Gain consensus on a roadmap for thedevelopment, review and advocacy for thebenchmark and indicators----related to overallinitiative

Agree on the way forward in implementing theroadmap for the development of benchmarks andindicators

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EGM on Land Indicators: Inputs

Background Document

Skeleton Framework

Concept Note --first draft of potential landindicators for Africa for discussion and input.

Lessons on development of land indicators

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Benchmarks and Indicators:Examples

Issues to be addressed:

1. Protecting the commons

2. State Sovereignty over Land

3. Tenure Security

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Issue 1: Protecting the commons

Focus areas Benchmarks Indicators

Communities ableto gain equivalentland rights asindividuals

Land policyrecognizescollective rightsto land

Land institutionsrecognize collectiverights to commonproperty resources(ownership, useand management)

Increase in proportion ofcommon property registeredin the national cadastre

Amount of land registered ascommon property of groups

Specific minority groupsgranted collective land claims

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Issue 1: Protecting the commons/2

Focus areas Benchmarks Indicators

Ensuringindividual needsfor land andnatural resourcesare not denied

Common propertysystems recognizethe rights ofindividuals withinthe community

Legal safeguards that protectindividual rights

Numbers of individual vsgroup disputes

Ensuring themanagement ofcommonresources thathave multipleclaims

Land policyenables negotiationof access and useof land betweeninterested groupsand parties

Degree of communityinvolvement in decisionmaking over high-value publicresources

Frequency of negotiatedagreements of conflictbetween groups

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Issue 2: Sovereignty of the stateFocus areas Benchmarks Indicators

Role of statein landownership

State divestsitself of radicaltitle of land

Decrease in proportion of landowned by the state

Role of statein ensuringequity

State plays aneffective role inguaranteeingsovereignty ofland rights forall citizens,particularlyvulnerablegroups

Frequency of disputes betweencommunities and privateindividuals

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Issue 2: State sovereignty of land/2

Focus areas Benchmarks Indicators

Role of statein regulatingandguaranteeingland rights ofcitizen

State ensureseffectivemechanisms forconflictresolution overland andbalancingdiverse interests

Proportion of land managementby local communities

Proportion of land allocated byprivate investors

Level of disputes by localcommunities regarding landallocations by the state

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Issue 3: Tenure SecurityFocus areas Benchmarks Indicators

Protection ofoccupantsaccording todifferent tenuretypes

Ability to identify land rightsholders

Ability to recognize diversityof tenure situations

Percentage of land rightsholders that are protected

Ability to identify /registeroverlapping tenure rights

Record of documentedland rights

Number of documentedtenure types

% of demarcated anddocumented customaryland

% reduction of land-conflict cases arisingfrom overlappingclaims

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Issue 3: Tenure Security /2

Focus areas Benchmarks Indicators

Gender equity inaccess to landand security oftenure

Laws protecting gender arecreated, and theirimplementation is closelymonitored

Existing laws

Number of registeredcases of spouse s’ co-ownership

Number of registrationin inheritance cases infavour of women

Number of cases ofwidows eviction

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Next steps

Revise the Concept Paper and transform tobackground paper

Refinement of benchmarks and indicators

Designing mechanisms for assessing theprogress of countries against the indicators

Assessment of possible participatinginstitutions – who could do what

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Next steps/2

Assessment of human resources capacity inkey institutions at the country levels anddevelopment of plans to address constraints

Initiative to streamline land into the PeerReview Mechanism/ explore linkages with theNEPAD initiative on sustainable landmanagement indicators

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Thank you!!