As part of the efforts to find sustainable solutions to complex and emerging land governance issues in Sierra Leone, the District multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) create an inclusive forum where different actors can discuss problems and propose solutions to improve governance of tenure and provide better access and opportunities to natural resources governance.
Many of today’s land tenure-related challenges are cross-cutting issues and affect several sectors and groups within society. Consequently, decision-making must identify shared needs behind different perspectives.
The strength of Green Scenery DMSPs lies in the ability of stakeholders to develop commonalities as well as strategies to bring about sustainable change to land governance issues.
AS a results of the above background, On the 5/March 2024, at Wusum Hotel, Makeni, Northern part of Sierra Leone, the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO), Green scenery(GS), and Land for Life , kick Start three Days Stakeholders Engagements with the Districts Multi Stakeholders Platforms (DMSPs) on land governance.
The objective of the engagements is to increase mutual understanding among different actors at districts, conducts capacity assessments, shear experiences ,develop governance structures , define objectives and vision, conduct Stakeholders analysis and engagement plans , and develop a short and medium term work plan for the districts Multi Stakeholders Platforms in the six strategic districts :Pujehun, Port Loko, Kenema,Tonkolili,Kambia and Bombali districts . The session was supported by FAO , with technical assistance from GIZ.
Historically, In Sierra Leone, multi-actor approach to land governance is working relatively well, especially at national level, despite the shrinking space at districts and community levels. This became notable since the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure was introduced and guided the establishment of various layers of multi-actor platforms in 2014.
Following the adoption of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) in 2013, Sierra Leone choose to implement the standards and became one of the few state to benefits 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 effect, there was the need for the establishment of structures that will help facilitates the VGGT process and activities. The 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 framework in Sierra Leone.
Following the experienced Green Scenery has with the work and impacts of the Multi stakeholders Platform in the early period of the VGGT implementation in Sierra Leone, and the losing space of the Districts Multi-stakeholders Platform (DMSP) at district and community levels, before and during the development process of the two land laws(Customary Land Rights Act 2022, and the National Land Commission Act 2022), prompted Green Scenery in 2020, start experimenting action for the establishment of District Multi stakeholder’s Platform at district levels( https://greenscenery.org/green-scenery-established-the-district-multi-stakeholders-platform-dmsp-to-improve-the-governance-of-tenure-on-land-in-pujehunport-loko-and-bombali-districts/).
Towards the end of 2023, A total number of six Districts Multi Stakeholders Platforms fully established by Green Scenery and Land for Life in six Districts; Port Loko, Bombali, Pujehun, Kenema, Tonkolili and Kambia districts. Six of these platform/ groups are currently functioning with the process of forestalling in Kailahun,Moyamba, Falaba and Kareneh districts.
While the District Multi Stakeholders Platforms(DMSPs), represents a great potential and opportunities to promote inclusivity, transparency and accountability in land governance, a recent self-assessment conducted by Land for Life and Green Scenery, who have been supporting the platforms in their various projects in the five districts , highlighted some weaknesses, and limitations to be addressed in order to increase the efficiency, and the impacts of the DMSPs platforms. Some of these limitations includes: limited capacity on key legal frameworks relating to natural resource governance , including but not limited to the customary Land Rights Acts 2022, and the National Land Commission Act 2022, limited capacity to responding to emerging land conflict related issues, unclear scope and mandates of the platforms, limited long term vision, limited engagement by some of the members; incomplete or absolute mapping of relevant stakeholders and unclear governance structure that depicts the roles and responsibilities within each DMSP.
It could be recalled ,In 2023 , following the significant roles the District’s Multi stakeholders Platforms(DMSPs) has played in the land reform process through the enactments of the Customary Land Rights Act 2022, and the National Land Commission Act 20222, and the potential contributions the DMSP will make in the implementation of the two land laws, through monitoring and compliances , Green Scenery and Land for Life approached FAO for collaborative partnership, and solicits additional supports to strengthen the Districts Multi Stakeholders Platform(DMSPS), to effectively functioning and adequately responding to wide range of issues relating to natural resource governance (Land), facilitating and monitoring the implementation of the two land laws , at districts and community levels.
Historically ,the mandates of the District Multi Stakeholders Platform(DMSP), is to facilitates and harness different levels of opportunities and resources at districts levels, where different groups of actors or players interacts and share common experience and learning in an interactive, inclusive and collective way, aiming at addressing wide rage of natural resources governance issues through the implementation of the two land laws, and other human rights legal instruments. Since the establishment of the DMSPs, remarkable impacts and progress has been achieved in the land reform processes , notably, issues relating to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms on land issues at communities, Chiefdoms and districts levels .The three days engagement hope to be interactive and educative.
The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO), is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, better the lives of rural population, improve nutrition and food security at global level.
On the other hand, Green scenery is a leading Non-Governmental Organization that was established in 1989. The organization promotes environmental justice, transparency in land governance and securing sustainable human security in Sierra Leone.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT GREEN SCENERY AT 42 CHARLES STREET,FREETOWN.
