On June 18, the 2013 G8, under UK leadership, announced bold steps to strengthen land governance and improve transparency in land transactions. G8 leaders expressed support for and announced a series of concrete steps to accelerate implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries, and Forests in the Context of National Food Security and the African Union Land Policy Initiative (LPI).
To achieve the objectives of improving land governance and enhancing transparency – major themes of the 2013 summit – the G8 announced a series of country-level Partnerships to accelerate support for the Voluntary Guidelines and the LPI. The Partnerships will be tailored to the needs of each country and will support existing land governance programs in conjunction with businesses and civil society. The initial Partnerships are: Burkina Faso (US), Tanzania (UK), Nigeria (UK), Senegal (France), Niger (EU), South Sudan (EU), and Namibia (Germany).
In their official communique, G8 leaders noted that “increasing security of land rights and transparency of land governance fosters participation of citizens, contributes to government accountability, reduces costs for businesses, and strengthens the climate for responsible investment.” The 2013 G8 built on progress achieved under US leadership in 2012, when the G8 initiated support for the Voluntary Guidelines and launched the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.
“This is an important step for improved land governance and transparency. The action taken by the G8 this week furthers the development of land and resource governance priorities that will enhance food security and foster responsible economic growth and trade. I want to commend to the UK for their leadership on this critical issue,” said Dr. Gregory Myers, USAID Division Chief, Land Tenure and Property Rights.