Press Release on Improvement of Land Governance in the IGAD Region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

Djibouti 22-2-2016 – The Inter-government Authority on Development (IGAD) Secretariat and the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) with support from the Switzerland Development Cooperation (SDC) and the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) will hold project planning and second project steering committee meetings of a joint six year project on improving land governance in the IGAD Region on 23 and 24 February 2016 in Djibouti.

The project was launched in February 2015 to facilitate the implementation of the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges in accordance with the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa, in order to facilitate access to land and security of land rights for all land users in the IGAD region, especially vulnerable groups such as pastoralists, women and youth.

The six year project which is broken into two three year phases aims to: a) Enhance the capacity of the LPI and IGAD Secretariat to facilitate and monitor the implementation of the AU Declaration on Land in the Region; b) Mainstream Land Governance issues in programmes and activities of the IGAD Secretariat, c) Develop capacity of academic institutions in the region to promote and undertake land policy related research, d) Work within existing regional platforms for knowledge sharing and advocacy aimed at promoting good land governance and land policy convergence among IGAD Member States (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) e) Improve partnerships, coordination and alignment of land governance related programme in the IGAD Region and f) Facilitate monitoring and evaluation of land policy reform processes.

The project planning and project steering committee meetings intend to (i) review progress of the project; (ii) share country and RECs experiences on the implementation of the AU Declaration on land; and (ii) and approve the project implementation plan and budget for 2016. The meetings will start with the progress review on 23 February followed by the Project Steering Committee Meeting in 24 February 2016.

It is expected that the two meetings will bring together over 32 participants representing IGAD Member States, other RECs like COMESA, EAC as well as other CSO platforms and institutions and organizations partnering with the IGAD and LPI.

For further information please contact: Dr. Samuel Zziwa at samuel.zziwa@igad.int and Dr. Belay Demissie at byazew@uneca.org

1283_Press Release for the IGAD Land Policy Initiative meeting