Strengthening collaboration for a successful implementation of the National Land Policy
The Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment has expressed determination to closely work with parliamentarians to achieve the required legal reforms for the successful implementation of the National Land Policy.
The Ministry acknowledges that the existing laws and policies governing the land system in Sierra Leone are outdated and in need of reform.
This plan was revealed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Barba Fortune during his keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment, at a one day training session organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with a civil society network, Action for Large-scale Land Acquisition Transparency (ALLAT) and the Ministry. The session was held, among other things, to provide a better understanding for the parliamentarians on the National Land Policy and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) principles.
The training was held on Wednesday, 21 June 2017, at the Family Kingdom Resort in Aberdeen, Freetown. It brought together 29 members of the Sierra Leone Parliament and clerks, mostly belonging to the agriculture, fisheries and land oversight committees.
The desire for a better land administration
The Ministry wished that, “by 2027, we expect to have an integrated, secure, transparent, affordable and efficient administration in management of the land system that underpins the growth, social stability and sustainable resource development in Sierra Leone.”
The Chairperson for the Committee of Lands in parliament, Honorable Rosaline Smith stated that the increased demand for land, either for large-scale investment, public goods, agriculture, fisheries and forests, or for private construction, has resulted in recurrent conflict. “This has necessitated reform for the land administration and tenure system in Sierra Leone”, she said.
She expressed hope that the new National Land Policy would bring about the review of current laws and the enactment of new ones in order to reflect the policy and the VGGT principles and standards.
In his presentation on the civil society position on the status of the country’s land sector reform, the Coordinator for ALLAT, Abdulai Bun Wai, described the land sector as confusing, and claimed that the confusion is as a result of too many players working independently of each other with no proper communication.
The need for a sustainable collaboration
The Assistant FAO Representative for Programme, Joseph Brima informed the gathering that Sierra Leone is recognized as a successful example for implementing the VGGT through a multi- actor and multi-sector approach.
For that reason, he encouraged the parliamentarians that, it is better for high-level discussions on tenure governance to continue; an institutional framework to be established to foster ownership and action; capacity development and awareness-raising activities be continued, and the strong political will and buy-in from the government be built upon.
Presentations and discussions were focused on the implementation of the VGGT in Sierra Leone; the National Land Policy implementation framewrok, and generally, on the issues that surround land, fisheries and forests in the country.
It is expected that the parliamentarians will be in a better position to debate in favour of land related bills in Parliament, and that their knowledge of the National Land Policy and VGGT will enable them to educate their constituents, participate in negotiations for land acquisition or leases and protect the natural resources in the various constituencies.
Contact:
Keifa Jaward
Communication Consultant, FAO Sierra Leone