June 3, 2022 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) through its Land Governance Programme with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa held the 11th IGAD Land Governance Programme Steering Committee Meeting in Entebbe, Uganda on June 1 and 2.
The two-day meeting brought together Directors responsible for land matters and Land Commissions from IGAD Member States, representatives from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa, the East African Farmers Federation, the International land Coalition (ILC), and the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMPD).
Speaking during the opening, the Programme Manager for Sustainable Environment Protection, Dr. Eshete Dejen, highlighted that IGAD Land Governance Programme was piloting cluster approach in Mandera to enforce the vison of IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, to bring IGAD into the community. “Bringing IGAD to the community in cluster areas is a challenge that needs special arrangement than the conventional approach”, he added.
Director Land Management Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of Uganda, Ms. Naome Kabanda, in her opening remarks said: “The steering committee is intended to bring all of us together to discuss land governance programme and draw the agenda of the next series of activities”.
She added that there was need to link land governance programme with climate resilience and climate change since some of the countries in the IGAD region are semi-arid and that they were already experiencing harsh climate conditions.
The Steering Committee aimed to make decisions that will inform the implementation of the Land Governance Programme for the period following the Meeting, review the progress towards implementation of the decisions made at the 10th Steering committee meeting, receive and discuss the progress made in executing the year 2022 Work plan to date, make decisions and give guidance to inform the implementation of the Land Governance Programme BP for the period following the Meeting, support the programme and give guidance towards strengthening in Country land governance work (improving implementation/up take of regional frameworks at country level).
The overall outcomes and key decisions that were made during the 11th Steering Committee Meeting of the IGAD Land Governance Programme were;
- Strengthen the cross-border approach to implementing land governance programing, drawing lessons from the other IGAD Clusters
- Enhance capacity building of Member States on gender responsive land administration, land monitoring, climate resilience and land and conflict.
- Research and data on land are critical point for IGAD and its Member States and as such necessitates the creation of the IGAD center of excellence on land governance.
- Fast tracking the implementation of the land governance programme workplan 2022 needs to be given priority.
