General

The Land Reform Project in Tajikistan (LRPT) works with government stakeholders to reform policy and land legislation, provides legal assistance to farmers to improve legal aid, and builds capacity through training and outreach for lawyers, judges, and local government officials on land issues. The project aims to improve long-term land use rights and develop an effective land use market as well as to draft amendments either repealing or harmonizing land related policies. It also supports public-private dialogue and partnerships related to useful legislation and strengthening the technical capacity of governmental agencies to address land-related issues. The project has strengthened and protected land rights by (1) assisting the Government of Tajikistan in developing land-related policy and legislation, (2) empowering farmers with information to assert their rights over land, and (3) supporting regional legal aid centers and tashabbuskors (rural land activists) in educating farmers on their rights, providing mediation, and advocating on behalf of farmers’ interests in court; and supporting public-private dialogue and partnerships related to useful legislation and strengthening the technical capacity of governmental agencies to address land-related issues. Objectives Improve land policy and legislation Increase farmers’ access to land and justice Outcomes The Project supported the Government of Tajikistan in drafting amendments to Land Code and Mortgage law, drafting new Law on Commercial Farms, drafting Land Policy paper and developing regulations to the land code. Land Code amendments allowing the purchase, sale, and mortgage of land use rights, strengthening tenure rights, reforming aspects of public withdrawal provisions were passed in August 2012. The Commercial Farm Law, that is strengthening farmers’ land use and farming rights, was drafted and is being reviewed by the government. Amendments to the Mortgage Law are passed in 2013, allowing pledge of land use rights and further protecting Mortgagee rights. 23,500 dehkan farmers were trained on land tenure issues. 17000 farmers participated in 1363 focus groups; 30,000 farmers participated in 2,000 roundtables. 10,712 field and 15920 field consultations provided through legal aid offices. 5,847 farmers benefited from 49 court cases. 92 disputes mediated.

General

The Great Lakes Region (GLR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are characterized by an abundance of natural resources, including significant deposits of gold, cobalt, copper, diamonds, tantalum, and tin. However, the potential of these resources to contribute to economic growth and sustainable development has remained untapped. The goal of the Capacity Building for Responsible Minerals Trade (CBRMT) project is to strengthen the capacity of the Democratic Republic of Congo and regional institutions to transparently regulate a critical mass of the trade in strategic minerals in eastern DRC in order to transform the region’s mineral wealth into economic growth and development. The project supports programming in responsible mineral access, trade, and chain of custody related tin, tantalum, tungsten, (3Ts) and gold. The project is implemented in three locations with a headquarters in Kinshasa, an Eastern Congo field office in Goma supervising the conflict free minerals trade, and an office in Bujumbura, Burundi, the headquarters of the International Council on the Great Lakes (ICGLR). Partners include Pact and RESOLVE, as well as a number of Congolese organizations dedicated to the responsible minerals trade. Objectives Improve the Legal and policy framework for mining sector in the GDRC Strengthen the capacity of key actors in conflict-free minerals supply chain in the GDRC at national, regional and private sector levels Assess the efficacy of conflict-free mineral certification and traceability systems, and scale up systems for the 3Ts and Gold Improve credibility and capacity of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and in particular it independent mineral chain auditing capabilities Expected Outcomes Improved legal and policy framework for the GDRC mining sector with respect to artisanal and small-scale mining an public private partnerships that can support it Capacity of key actors in conflict free minerals supply chain developed to enable transparent monitoring of operations, increased incomes for artisanal miners and exporters, and increased revenue for GDRC Conflict free mineral certification and traceability systems scaled up to mitigate the impact of smuggling and insecurity in at least 250-400 more mine sites International Conference on the Great Lakes Region credibility and capacity improved to participate and audit membership compliance with conflict free mineral certification and traceability systems

General

The Enhancing Customary Justice Systems in the Mau Forest (Justice) Project piloted an approach for improving women’s access to customary justice, particularly related to women’s land rights, by enhancing the customary justice system in one target area. The work also resulted in a clearer understanding of the relationships between customary and statutory institutions and laws, and the development of a model to promote the integration of informal and formal justice systems. The pilot activity complemented other USAID programs in Kenya focused on addressing land/resource tenure, access to justice, and governance challenges, in the upper Mara River catchment area within the Mau Forest Complex, Kenya (“Mau”). By design, this project has relied extensively on assessments and other information, for and under the ProMara project, gathered since February 2010. The pilot project lasted from 2010 – 2012 and a follow-on project began in 2013. The follow-on project seeks to share the Kenya Justice Project approach as well as results and lessons learned from the Project evaluation to explore opportunities and support for broader sustainable application throughout Kenya, particularly focused on formalizing and institutionalizing linkages and processes between the formal and informal justice sectors, consistent with Article 159 of Kenya’s Constitution. Objectives Develop basic justice modules to train traditional leaders on provisions of the Kenyan Constitution and National Land Policy. Build capacity within the customary justice system to more effectively perform duties. Build women’s capacity to govern and to know, understand, and exercise their rights. Support justice learning related to the Kenyan Constitution and the National Land Policy within schools and families. Raise community’s legal awareness. Outcomes Chiefs publicly issued a new Katiba (local constitution) to guide their decision making and legal responsibilities to the community. Significant increases in women’s access to land and control over household level decision-making around land and other family assets. In addition, several women in the community now have their names on land titles, including widows. Two of the Ol Pusimoru sub-locations elected 14 women elders out of 50 total in 2012. This election of women as elders is the first within the Maasai and Kalenjin communities. The number of women elders grew to 22 in 2013 and 33 out of 50 elders total in 2014. Chiefs and elders now require spousal consent (with witnesses) for all land transactions, including leases. In the Ol Mariko sub-location, women who received training made the request that elders no longer hear rape cases. The elder council agreed with the request and is now referring all such cases to formal legal systems. Trained 34 women in environmental and forest management and alternative dispute resolution. These women then conducted over 20 peer sessions, reaching more than 268 women.