Land Policy Reform, Customary Rule of Law and the Peace Process in Sierra Leone
Jon Unruh. African Journal of Legal Studies (2008) 2: 94-117

Toward sustainable livelihoods after war:
Reconstituting rural land tenure systems. Jon Unruh 2008. 32 103-115

[adapted from UNDP] May, 2008- This UNDP discussion paper ‘Pro-Poor Land Tenure Reform and Democratic Governance’ provides a review of how different types of land tenure reform relate to decentralization and local governance, in theory and in practice.  The discussion suggests that in order to create more democratic and transparent local management of land resources, special mechanisms to protect women against direct and indirect discrimination, as well as the establishment of local land committees and land tribunals for conflict resolution are needed.

[via UNDP, 2008] These 4 Policy Briefs from UNDP show how increasing knowledge about gender relations and empowerment has highlighted the importance of access to and control over land within intra-household gender relations, and what this implies for broader concerns about empowerment of the poor.  Moreover, significant knowledge gaps are also found in discussions on the link between land policies and cultural, territorial and gender empowerment issues.

Land Policy Options for Development and Poverty Reduction

Civil Society Views for Pro-poor Land Policies and Laws in Zambia 

January 2008

Land Policy Options for Development and Poverty Reduction Civil Society Views for Pro-poor Land Policies and Laws in Zambia 

2008

Land Policy Options for Development and Poverty Reduction Civil Society Views for Pro-poor Land Policies and Laws in Zambia 

2008

It is estimated that up to 84% of Malawians earn their livelihoods directly from agriculture - it contributes over 90% to export earnings, 40% to GDP and accounts for 85% of total employment.

Land remains the most significant productive asset for the majority of Malawians, yet it is far from being equitably distributed. It is estimated that up to 84 per cent of Malawians eke their livelihoods directly out of agriculture which contributes over 90 per cent to the country’s export earnings, about 39 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and accounts for 85 per cent of total employment.

The IFAD Policy on Improving Access to Land and Tenure Security has been formulated to: (a) provide a conceptual framework for the relationship between land issues and rural poverty, acknowledging the complexity and dynamics of evolving rural realities; (b) identify the major implications of that relationship for IFAD’s strategy and programme development and implementation; (c) articulate guiding principles for mainstreaming land issues in the Fund’s main operational instruments and processes; and (d) provide the framework for the subsequent development of operational guidelines and decisio

Developing new land policies can be a long and difficult process. It is even more so if the policies are to be pro-poor – if they are to help correct the disadvantages that poor people typically suffer in many areas of land policy.