From 8-11 April the World Bank held its 14th annual Conference on Land and Poverty in Washington under the overall theme of "Moving towards transparent land governance: Evidence-based next steps". The conference attracted around 800 experts, policymakers, civil society representatives as well as participants from private sector and academia.

//  Increasing recognition of central role of land governance to development objectives

The broad attendance from a diverse set of participants reinforces the impression of an increasing recognition that good land and resource governance is central to a variety of development objectives. In total, the conference featured more than 200 sessions over three days, in which presenters shared results of research and implementation
around:

• Securing land rights and improving land use at the grassroots
• Adjusting laws and institutions to address urban expansion and governance
• Innovative approaches towards spatially enabling land administration and management
• Supporting a continuum of rights in a decentralized environment
• Mobilising the private sector to improve land governance
• Sharing benefits from exploitation of land-based resources.

//  Voluntary Guidelines (VGs) essential tool for improving land and resource governance

Throughout the conference numerous endorsements and statements of support were made for the Voluntary Guidelines (VGs) for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests in the Context of National Food Security as an essential tool for improving land and resource governance. This was highlighted by a statement from the World Bank calling them “a major international instrument to inform specific policy reforms, including our own procedures and guidance to clients.”

Also, the opening session of the conference, which discussed the rising demand for and support to implementation of the VGs and the closing statement by the Director General for Policy and Global Issues at the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Michael Anderson, highlighted the VGs’ importance.

//  World Bank reiterates commitment to improve land governance

In their statement, The World Bank Group recognised the importance of secure land rights and reiterated their commitment to improving land governance and promoting environmentally and socially sustainable agriculture investments. According Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group securing access to land was critical for millions of poor people. Modern, efficient and transparent policies on land rights were vital to reducing poverty and promoting growth, agriculture production, better nutrition and sustainable development.

//  Donor roundtable establishes global working group on land

During a donor roundtable meeting after the conference, participants established a global working group on land, aiming at better coordination of donor positions on global land issues, which will be facilitated by the Platform secretariat.

The global working group on land will also look at a better coordination of current efforts between already established donor networks working on land related issues, and other bi- and multilateral donors. The group enables donors to integrate their expertise for the improvement and the development of global land governance as well as to observe, monitor and analyse regional and global initiatives on land issues.

The working group’s main objectives are to (i) share relevant information and exchange experiences, (ii) coordinate actions at the global level and endeavour to translate these also at the national level, (iii) develop publications and organise joint events, (iv) interact more coordinated with other networks and platforms.

Group members use the forum provided by the Platform secretariat to exchange about their know-how, build consensus around critical or emerging issues and formulate joint approaches – aiming at better coordination and aid effectiveness.

//  Downloads

The papers and presentations can be downloaded here.

Voluntary Guidelines (VGs) for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests in the Context of National Food Security__ PDF

Secretariat BTOR__ PDF

//  Source

14th annual World bank Conference on Land and Poverty

World Bank Group: Access to Land is Critical for the Poor

World Bank Blog by Klaus Deininger

USAID Land Tenure Rights Portal

This new website has been designed specifically to engage stakeholders in decision-making processes related to SLM Finance (SLM-F) in ACP countries.

The goal of the scope|acp website is to provide national and local actors with the necessary tools to enhance the utilization of existing resources as well as to increase access to new and innovative financial resources for SLM.

It offers a platform to support information flow, exchange of experience and knowledge management in the framework of South-South Cooperation to strengthen the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD).

It is founded on three pillars: i) capacity building; ii) knowledge management; and iii) strategic partnerships.

The website offers an overview of relevant experience and talent available, as well as key information to boost development in ACP countries. It opens a door to an interactive community of ACP country stakeholders and their partners.

Training and exchange of experiences are facilitated through the Sustainable Land Management-Finance (SLM-F) innovative and participatory tool. SLM-F enables the user to learn, create projects, communicate, share opinions, knowledge and experience, interact with relevant actors, find financial opportunities, and much more.

Local and national actors will find relevant information on funding resources, and procedures for developing partnerships. News, articles, documents, projects, and a whole lot more can be uploaded, shared and discussed. Each user can plan its individual training.

See more at scopeacp.net.

// Background

The e-consultation is organised by FAO. The voluntary guidelines are being prepared through an inclusive process. Fifteen regional and thematic multi-stakeholder consultation meeting were organized between September 2009 and November 2010 to assess the priorities of the voluntary guidelines and to review specific features of governance of tenure in each region. Based on these consultation meetings, a zero draft of the Voluntary Guidelines has been prepared.

Comments from this e-consultation will be considered in the first draft of the Voluntary Guidelines which will be submitted in June to the open-ended working group of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) for review. The work will peak in the CFS led plenary negotiations in July. Final text of the Voluntary Guidelines will be submitted for the consideration of the 37th session of the CFS in October 2011.

// How to contribute

The secretariat of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land and other Natural Resources welcomes all interested parties - who were not able to attend the regional consultations - to participate in the e-consultation on the zero draft between 18 April and 16 May.

The e-consultation website will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Comments may be submitted in any of those languages.

Please visit the Voluntary Guidelines website to participate in this consultation. FAO is looking forward to your contributions!

Contact: (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

// Update

The zero draft of the voluntary guidelines is now available for your comments.

Please see information on content and process at: http://www.fao.org/[…]/land_tenure/econsultation/english/Zero_Draft_VG_Final.pdf