NELGA Holds Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Secure land rights – learning, collaboration, and practice

While significant global land tenure security achievements have been made over recent years, numerous challenges still remain. Advanced land management systems require a high standard of technical and administrative capacity, particularly as digital approaches are mainstreamed. Linking practical approaches and research in land management to policy often requires a combination of context-specific, holistic and cost-efficient solutions.

As a response to the above challenges, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned GIZ in November 2015 to implement two global programmes on land governance, namely the “Global Programme on Responsible Land Policy” (GPRLP, hereafter called the Global Programme) and “Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa” (SLGA).  

The Global Programme aims to improve access to land as a central precondition for poverty reduction and improving food security in rural areas, focusing on women and marginalised groups in selected countries. It currently implements activities in Benin, Ethiopia, Laos, Madagascar, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on:

1. improving procedures to secure land tenure rights of the rural population;
2. strengthening civil society;
3. cooperation with the private sector.

“Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa” (SLGA) focuses on strengthening institutional and human capacities for better land policies in African countries. The programme operates on a continental level through regional hubs and in the African Union member states. It collaborates closely with the African Land Policy Center (ALPC) and offers scholarships and exchanges via DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).

Objectives of the Knowledge Exchange Workshop 2022

After 6.5 years of implementation in various countries, the two land governance programmes have supported a wide range of development options, adopted practical land rights formalisation approaches and incorporated them into policies. In addition, the creation of scientific networks has already proven to support the topic of land governance in training and research.

With several years of implementation still ahead, this is an ideal moment for the two global programmes to join hands, share successful experiences and lessons learnt, and define new ways forward in land tenure jointly with national partners in target countries. With a focus on South-South Exchanges, the programmes would like to make available increased knowledge and experiences across technical fora and networks. Thereby creating an opportunity to strengthen the topic of land tenure in a broader, more sustainable, and institutionalised manner. 
 

In this Knowledge and Exchange Workshop, the organisers aims to:

• Reflect on responsible land policy development and implementation in partner  countries based on scientific/expert input and policy advice; 
• Share experiences, successes and challenges with a broader audience; 
• Generate orientations for partner countries for future implementation and beyond; 
• Strengthen the network of land experts and foster regional exchange; and
• Foster learning across countries and organisations for new land approaches.

The Knowledge Exchange Workshop will focus on four thematic areas, which are:

1. Sustainable integration of fit-for-purpose (FFP) approaches into government procedures and policy for upscaling;
2. Bridging gaps: demand-driven research for informed land tenure policy making;
3. Fostering suitable frameworks for responsible land investments; 
4. From Reach to Benefit and Empower – Gender Transformative Approaches in Theory and Practice.

The content will include a range of sharing and discussions formats such as:

• Exchange of experiences to foster mutual learning and inspiration;
• Expert / scientific inputs on successful approaches;
• Presentations of good practices in target countries; 
• Round tables/panel discussions, parallel sessions with results sharing;
• Multi-stakeholder exchange and policy dialogue;
• An excursion at the beginning of the KEW to appreciate the Ugandan experiences; 
• Specific exchange format dedicated to participating Civil Society Organisations.