Civil Society Participation in Land Policy Making: the innovative experience of Myanmar’s pre-consultation on the National Land Use Policy | Land Portal

Resource information

Date of publication: 
February 2017
Resource Language: 
Pages: 
30

In October 2014, for the first time in recent history, the government of Myanmar decided to organize a public consultation to inform the development of a national policy. To support this consultation process, several organizations decided to organize civil society pre-consultation activities to listen and gather concerns from smallholder farmers to formulate relevant recommendations for the policy dialogue.


This capitalization note aims to share the experience of that remarkable mobilization by civil society and the impacts of this pre-consultation on the final National Land Use Policy. The study presents the institutions involved in the pre-consultation coordinated by the Land Core Group. It reviews the impact of the process as contributing to the national consultation and reflects on the successes and challenges of the implementation. Drawing lessons from retrospective and critical analysis of the action is particularly important at this time because it is expected that similar (pre)consultation processes will follow in connection to other policies and laws in Myanmar.

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Eben Forbes

Publisher(s): 

Land Core Group is a Myanmar NGO based in Yangon that works to raise awareness of land issues, and promote policy reform to support small scale farmers and forest dependent peoples throughout Myanmar. Our project activities are as follows

- Conduct research on various aspects of land issues

- Land Rights and Land Law TOT and grassroots trainings

- Advocacy to promote stronger land tenure in policy and law

- Coordination and networking through the broader LCG network

“We are a social development organization that works with civil society, government and businesses to bring about a society of active citizens supported by effective and democratic governance.”


Loka Ahlinn was formed by nine core members from educational backgrounds in 2006. It aimed to address the question of how to develop an education platform in Myanmar. Projects started in community management and training, including establishment of two training centres, in Yangon and Magway.


Project Description

Land governance is at the center of development challenges in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Governments are revising land policies and practices in order to face these challenges. The project aims to (i) assist the emergence of more favorable policies and practices for securing the rights and access of family farmers to land and natural resources; and (ii) to strengthen the effectiveness of concerned stakeholders through learning, alliance building and regional cooperation.


Data provider

Project Description

Land governance is at the center of development challenges in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Governments are revising land policies and practices in order to face these challenges. The project aims to (i) assist the emergence of more favorable policies and practices for securing the rights and access of family farmers to land and natural resources; and (ii) to strengthen the effectiveness of concerned stakeholders through learning, alliance building and regional cooperation.


Share this page