Green Scenery Established the District Multi Stakeholders Platform (DMSP) to Improve the Governance of Tenure on Land in Pujehun,Port Loko and Bombali districts.

Green Scenery Established the District Multi Stakeholders Platform (DMSP) to Improve the Governance of Tenure on Land in Pujehun,Port Loko and Bombali districts.

Immediately after the adoption of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Voluntary Guidelines on Governance of Tenure (VGGT), Sierra Leone choose to implement the standard and became one of the few state to benefit with funds from the German project through the UN FAO. In 2014, the guidelines from UN FAO, Sierra Leone proceeded to implement the VGGT at National level. However, for implementation to take root, there was the  need for the establishment of structures that will help facilitates the VGGT process and activities.  These structures are : The VGGT secretariats, the Technical Working Group, the Steering Committee, the Inter-Ministerial task Force and the National Multi stakeholders group. This is refers to the VGGT institutional frame work in Sierra Leone.

The VGGT secretaries was hosted by the Ministry of Lands and became the anchored of the VGGT implementation. The Technical Working Group composed of relevant MDAs represented by their professions groups. It also compose Civil Society group acting on the land sector. The Technical working Group (TWG) as the name implies, serves as the technical wing for the implementation of the VGGT.

The VGGT steering committee also comprise of high level stakeholders representative from the MDs, that was responsible to serve as the interlocutor  between the Technical Working Group and the high level Political groups. Inter ministerial Task Force, comprise of  key Ministries such as agriculture, Fisheries, Lands, Justice and local government. The Inter Ministerial Task Force serve as the source of strong political commitment on the implementation  of the VGGT. The Inter Ministerial Task Force serves as the decision making body for the implementation of the VGGT activities.

The Multi Stakeholder Platform (MSP), serves as key policy and action directives for the VGGT. The composition of the Multi stakeholders Platform are : The government of Sierra Leone (all sectors, central and decentral levels associated with the VGGT),Civil society, CSOs which included the media, NGO and ING, Private sector, tenure rights holders and traditional leaders. The Multi stakeholders usually meet ones every years. The Technical Working Group work as frequent as task sign to it.  Inter-ministerial task force meets every quarter. The combination of the activities from stakeholder’s component remain s to be the driving force leading to the successful outcomes of the VGGT implementation  which are: The alignment of the National Land Policy leading to the development of the two National Land Laws.

The role of the Multi stakeholders platform may have been overlook in the development of the two land laws, and therefore, the MSP structure lose space even as the T/VALC and CLC were integrated into the laws.

Green scenery experienced with the work and impacts of the Multi stokeholds Platform in the early period of the VGGT implementation in sierra Leone and losing space of the Districts Multi stakeholders Platforms(DMPs), in at the development of the two land laws prompted the organization(GS) in 2020,to start experimenting with the   Multi stakeholders platform at district level in PortLoko and Bombali districts  through the Pro Poor Land Governance Project supported by Irish Aid through  Christin Aid Aid . In 2021, the success level of the District Multi Stakeholders Platform (DMSP) in PortLoko and Bombali districts, further instigated Green Scenery to establish the DMSP in Pujehun district.

By 2021, there were three District Multi Stakeholders Platforms Operating in PortLoko, Bombali and Pujehun districts. Even though the District Multi Stakeholders Platform were under resources, they were actively engaging in advocating  for policy reform on land(Cap122),  resolving natural resource conflict most of which were land  conflicts.

Even though, they address harder and famers conflicts(PortLoko), raised awareness on the National Land Policy  and created the  space for civil society operations in Malen  chiefdom ,Pujehun district ,the DMSP main focus is dealing with land conflict such as boundaries lines between land owners, intra family land  conflict, and disputes between company and land owners.

The  establishment of the District Multi-stakeholder platforms (DMSPs) in the three districts   brought together representatives from different interest groups including CSOs, Media, government representatives, religious groups , Women’s groups, persons with disabilities and other relevant interest groups discussing issues relating to  Land conflict  resolution and  mediation, policy reform on land and women participation and inclusion in decision making processes     at communities ,Chiefdom and districts levels. The District Multi Stakeholders platform   explore and leverage different opportunities, shared challenges and develop policy action aiming at advocating, dialogue and collaborating with different players/actors   on issues  around policy reforms on natural resources governance, social injustice, rights abuses, accountable land governance and land conflict mediation in Port Loko, Bombali and Pujehun districts.

The establishment of the  Distrcit Multi-stakeholder platform (DMSP) or partnerships has  been  the most   effective approach that has brought greater  impacts in Green scenery work through the implementation of the five years Irish Aid Pro Poor Land Governance (IAPG11-2017-2022)in three    strategic  districts .The platform  making  sure no one is left behind when taking decisions  or facing complex issues of   community concerns at , Chiefdoms and district levels. It an  overarching approach Green Scenery uses to identify different powers blocks  and stakeholders with  varied experience, powers and skills   that   collectively use to  identify issues affecting  the general good .

The  approach  has  helped to transforms risk, and turn cries situation to opportunities with in the available resources. It  has been very instrumental in reaching out Christian Aid supported project(IAPG11) and in extension Green Scenery overall project  Goal.

Green Scenery DMSPs works in key thematic areas :Problem solving focus, Conflict Focus, Opportunity Focused, Community Legal empowerments Focus,  Research based and advocacy focus.

The main goal of Green Scenery District Multi Stakeholders Platform is to facilitates  and harness  different levels of opportunities and resources  available at districts levels,  where different groups of  actors or players  interacts  and share common experience and learning, in an interactive and collective way. A platform  where different  actors or players  can speak, be heard, and where everybody’s ideas can be harnessed collectively to drive innovation and positive change  that  addresses  complex social issues and challenges   on land tenure governance .

In July 2021, the District Multi-stakeholders Platform (DMSP) on land rights  Portloko district, for the first time, settled a conflict between cattle rears  and crop farmers and got the Paramount chief to pay damages (equivalent of $100) as compensation to farmers who were largely landowners. This action signified a big change in the behavior of the district stakeholders (DMSP) in seeking justice for crop farmers and landowners whose crops get destroyed by uncontrolled domestication of animals. It also demonstrated a positive commitment to hold community duty bearers accountable when the break local laws.

In November 2021, the DMSP in Pujehun districts organized multi-stakeholders dialogue sessions in Sahn Malen chiefdom Puejhun district, bringing together company (SOCFIN), CSOs, the Office of National security (ONS) Pujehun, Senior District Officer (SDO) Pujehun, Legal Aid Board, Community members, MALOA representatives and Chiefdom Council headed by the Paramount Chief, to discuss and  resolve  contentions between  communities and  Socfin’s operations in Malen chiefdom .

In October 2021, with support from  the DMSP pujehun, women of Wanjama and MALOA women mobilized and  ensure bail for a former female staff of Socfin  Ngadi Magona .

In May 2021, due to  series of engagements and awareness raising organize  by DMSP in pujehun on the National Land Polcy and the VGGT principles with SOCFIN, Socfin listened and acted to concerns from community members on the use of hazardous chemicals resulting in the contamination of farmlands by abandoning the act of dumping waste chemical near farmland or streams.

In 2020,the DMSP in Bombali district  dialogue with the company(ADAX/SUNBIRD BIO ENERGY),and succeeded  to allowing  community  members especially women engage  in small scale farming  to access  the company  concession areas in doing small scale  farming which has been instrumental in securing their livelihood security.

The mandates of the  DMSP’s are:

Serve as an intermediary between land owners(communities) and Multinational companies addressing  land conflict-related issues both at community, chiefdom  and district levels.

  • Serves as a conflict Redress Mechanism platform that receives complaints, feedbacks and addresses land conflict-related cases
  • Engage Multinational companies to uphold and demonstrates transparency and accountability on land rights issues at district levels.
  • Work with stakeholders including traditional authorities popularizing the Customary Land Rights Act and the National Land Commission Act at community, Chiefdom  and districts
  • Work with other stakeholders at district and national level for the effective implementation of the two land laws through the creating of the Town/Village Area Land Committees, Chiefdom Land Committee, and the districts Land Commission.
  • Hold regular meetings and discuss issues around land rights protection.
  • Serves as a point of contacts between land owners and Agaric Company on land related conflicts.
  • It a platform that monitor compliances of the two land laws through the creation of structures.
  • Work with Green Scenery and give updates on land related issues and developed policy actions.