WORKING GROUP 1 FORMALISING AND SECURING LAND RIGHTS

Document begins: WORKING GROUP 1 FORMALISING AND SECURING LAND RIGHTS The group responded to an overview paper and three case studies. · The overview reviewed the arguments and evidence in relation to land titling and registration, and the variety of evolving approaches in Africa (legislative protection of customary rights, with accessible justice systems; community land demarcation and corporate titling; land rights management by devolution of land administration of village level bodies; and devolution of land administration to local government or to semi-autonomous land boards. Key issues are · Tigray in Ethiopia illustrates that it is possible to deliver low cost registration to provide security to reduce the uncertainties created by radical egalitarian land distribution, and accommodate an evolving land market, although the wider benefits for agricultural productivity and dispute resolution are not clear · Mozambique has developed a workable approach to village level land demarcation to secure community rights against outside claimants, and is now seeking to reduce costs and increase the scale of this form of land registration · Benin's Plan Foncier Rural has demonstrated practical lessons of a registration process to secure the diverse range of primary and secondary rights in land, while devolving management of land rights to ...