VGGT AND THE F&G: VERSATILE TOOLS FOR IMPROVING TENURE GOVERNANCE Wordsworth Odame Larbi Transversal Coordinator FAO Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION Responsible tenure governance improves food security, poverty reduction, environmental management, reduction of tenure related conflicts, social and economic development VGGT was endorsed by CFS in May 2012 F&G was endorsed by the AU in 2009 through the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges Soft laws with persuasive effect but set the standards and frameworks for improving governance of tenure, land policy frameworks, land administration systems, land use planning, etc Signify global engagement for dealing with challenges of tenure governance by promoting transparent and accountable tenure structures and administrations

CHALLENGES OF TENURE Tenure insecurity Colonial legacies Legal pluralism Legal recognition of customary land rights including women’s land rights Gender issues Rapid urbanization Challenges of land use planning Land related conflicts Pastoral rights to land Inefficient and ineffective land administration systems Institutional deficiencies

GLOBAL/ REGIONAL RESPONSES Reference framework, process guidance and standards for improving governance of tenure Promote land regimes that offer more secure tenure Recognition of legitimate tenure rights Safeguards for large scale land acquisitions

THE EUROPEAN UNION LAND GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME Country-specific tenure issues Varied implementers including Government, International Development agencies such as FAO, GIZ, Technical assistance firms, CSOs, Private sector companies A wide array of tenure issues including mapping and recording of community/customary rights, legal recognition of customary rights, inventory of public lands, agricultural investments, fisheries tenure, pastoral rights, post-conflict tenure situations Use of technology to influence change Linking projects to policy processes 16 ACTIVE IN-COUNTRY PROJECTS MORE THAN 60 MILLION EUROS Phase 1: Angola, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Swaziland Phase 2: Brazil, Cameroun, Columbia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda

THEORY OF CHANGE In-country Projects Global/Regional Food security, Poverty reduction, Environmental sustainability LPI/FAO Monitoring reports on integrated implementation National level policy processes Inputs and data for monitoring SDG indicators Provide quality technical support Global/Regional AU Declaration on Land Issues Global VGGT implementation Improved land governance Transversal Support links the individual projects and strengthens their capacity to achieve their objectives within the framework of the VGGT and, in the African context, the AU Declaration Transversal project provides: VGGT compliance and analysis Opportunities for cross- learning Opportunities to influence policy and practices Sourcing quality technical support Transversal Support Transversal Project: Capacity Development; Experience Capitalization; Knowledge Sharing; Cross-cutting themes support Support to M&E; Communication The conceptual framework and the linkages between the Transversal and the In-country projects. The transversal project uses evidence from the in-country projects to monitor the uptake and use of the VGGT and the F&G so as to be able to report ultimately to the African Union and the CFS. In return the Transversal support provides capacity development, tools for effective implementation and a platform for experience and lesson sharing the thereby opportunity to influence policies and practices. At the same time it ensures a consolidation of the critical mass of change agents/champions at the country level. In-country projects provide: Evidence of using VGGT/F&G principles Opportunities to assess impact of VGGT/F&G Opportunities to participate in knowledge sharing activities In-country Projects Range of tenure related issues Different implementation models to influence policy and achieve good land governance

EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION TRANSVERSAL SUPPORT Implementing VGGT/F&G at country level require dedicated effort to capacitate project implementation teams and government agencies TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE KMP CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION Transversal Support ensures that project implementation is regularly monitored and that the wealth of lessons learnt are documented and disseminated: “What has worked? What has not? Why?”. M&E HOW CAN PROJECTS BE SUPPORTED IN OPERATING IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE F&G AND VGGT? COORDINATION

CAPITALIZATION MECHANISMS OBJECTIVES Review progress Increase technical and soft skills through variety of methodologies PPT, Share fair, Poster, World Cafes, Group discussions, Bilateral discussions Share experiences/ Learn from peers Collect good practices to inform communication products and higher level processes

CAPITALIZATION MECHANISMS OUTCOMES Lessons learnt for improved project implementation Capacity increased in specific technical and soft skills Good exchanges to develop capacity for project implementation Good practices captured to inform communication products and higher level processes

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Behaviours, Process, Standards, and Technical Solutions that allow you to share and use knowledge to support the strategic goal of the Programme or Organization Increase knowledge of the projects Increase project memory

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM A better way – knowledge repository Minimize re-learning Increase productivity The old way cc: everyone Transversal Memory www.africalandpolicy.org/eu-programme

KMP The EU Land Governance KMP serves as the main online communication tool and information repository for project implementers: http://africalandpolicy.org/eu-programme/

MONITORING & EVALUATION Key to all projects in terms of tracking, documentation and reporting M&E Framework prepared to cover Pan-African, Transversal and Country level projects Pan-African level indicators are aligned with MELA Country level indicators aligned with MELA where the countries overlap – Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Niger and Uganda Integrated into the KMP with privileged access to in-country projects: www.africalandpolicy.org/eu-programme Data to be provided by in-country projects Indicators agreed and validated by CM Move from output reporting to results reporting

LESSONS LEARNT Mainstreaming of VGGT and F&G into project implementation requires deliberate effort and trackable indicators Projects are feeding into national processes and influencing policies - Cote d’Ivoire, Angola, Kenya, Niger, Ghana Improving recognition and recording of customary/ communal land rights – Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Swaziland VGGT and F&G principles are internalized in project implementation – Consultation, participation, inclusiveness, etc. Comprehensive capacity development of all stakeholders – Ethiopia, Malawi Private sector and professional association participation increase VGGT awareness and intake – Cote d’Ivoire Enabling technology provides entry point and catalyst for reviewing and streamlining land administration processes to achieve policy, legal and institutional reforms – Angola, Ghana (Open Tenure for tenure rights in fishing) In country projects are ways of ensuring that VGGT principles are mainstreamed into legal, policy and institutional processes Good knowledge on key thematic issues generated – Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Angola; VGGT translation into Portuguese and Amharic

Strong political leadership and commitment to improve land governance – classic example Angola Strong commitment from the project staff and government counterparts to participate in capitalization meetings – Malawi, Swaziland, Kenya, Ethiopia Capitalization meetings enable participants to learn new approaches to address governance of tenure issues and identify good practices Integrating projects into policy processes not only contribute to successful implementation but also to sustainability of gains and impacts eg Niger États Généraux du foncier Rural (EGFR); Cote d’Ivoire Technical Assistance; Ghana Revision of legal frameworks on fisheries Linking projects to long term vision of the land sector in the country, enabling succesor projects to be formulated on time eg. Kenya Realistic goals which take into account the full range of complexities and inclusion of all key stakeholders in implementation eg. Kenya Effective communication with appropriate messages to key stakeholders eg Burundi used a jingle on inventory of public lands Transversal project is an excellent model for coordinating projects across several countries, providing capacity and knowledge to ensure successful implementation Translation of VGGT and TGs into local languages increases knowledge uptake and use at national and local levels eg Portuguese and Amharic VGGT integrated into the ALPC processes and reporting to AUC Success Factors

Challenges Strong commitment and political leadership needed to ensure VGGT and F&G are used Deliberate effort is needed to integrate VGGT and F&G into land governance processes. It will not happen automatically Continued awareness raising and sensitization on VGGT at country level. Still a ‘heavy’ document that requires breakdown at local and community levels Women participation in land governance process is still weak across all the projects – Average 18 – 32 percent Project M&E systems must link up with transversal M&E system Limited use of the KMP Sustained resources and time are needed to integrate VGGT into social and economic frameworks Expected outcomes of some of the in-country projects are very ambitious for the project period

CONCLUSION The quest for good governance will continue to be a relevant development agenda in developing countries so long as tenure security is an issue The poor, vulnerable, minorities, youth, women and persons generally remote from power centers will lose out if land governance processes do not improve International tools and support are available to assist countries in dealing with tenure challenges There is demonstrable evidence from the in-country projects that with the appropriate political commitment and leadership the VGGT and F&G can be game changers in tenure governance Effective capacity development, awareness raising and use of technology to raise a critical mass of VGGT champions at country level is needed Long term engagement of development partners and more commitment from governments will ensure sustainability in gains made and impact

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