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Regional land forum convenes in Kyrgyzstan

13.09.2017

The Asian Regional Land Forum of the International Land Coalition (ILC) convened on 12-15 September 2017 for the first time in Central Asia, hosted by Kyrgyzstan. This edition of the annual event, titled “People-centred land governance: securing commons land use rights towards improved livelihood of local communities in Asia”, was organized by the Kyrgyz Association of Forest and Land Users (KALFU) and ILC Asia, with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Melioration, the National Pasture Users Association of Kyrgyzstan "Kyrgyz Zhaiyty", and the Mountain Partnership Central Asia Mountain Hub (CAMH) at the University of Central Asia (UCA).

The Regional Land Forum serves as a platform for the primary decision-making body of the ILC to consolidate and approve priorities, initiatives and activities, to promote ILC engagement at local, regional and national levels. The aim of the forum is to discuss the results and challenges of local communities’ initiatives in Asia, including implementing land reform and land policies in Central Asia, to exchange best practices and to strengthen cooperation between the members of ILC Asia.

More than 100 delegates from ILC member organizations in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines attended the forum, along with deputies of the Kyrgyz Parliament and representatives of the Kyrgyz Government and other state bodies. Kyrgyzstan was furthermore represented by members of academia, practitioners, NGOs and farmers' organizations, including the National Pasture Users Association, the Water Users Association of Kyrgyzstan and the Community Development & Investment Agency, as well as several Mountain Partnership members, including UCA, the Rural Development Fund, CAMP Alatoo and the Agency for Development Initiatives. Representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IFAD, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the World Bank also participated.

The forum agenda includes field trips to the Issyk-Kul Region to learn about local farmers’ experiences in sustainable pasture management and horticulture development. Participants will also be shown the Kungai Ala-Too mountain forests and become acquainted with local practices of sustainable forest management.

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News and photos by CAMH/Alma Uzbekova