The purpose of LMA is to facilitate effective and inclusive management of communal land through land tenure processes. Its aim is to support Liberian communities in obtaining deeds to their customary land in accordance with the 2018 Land Rights Act (LRA) and to support the improved use of customary land for sustainable, equitable economic benefit.
Issues of land ownership are central to two Development Objectives of USAID/Liberia’s 2019–2024 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), which LMA objectives and results will support: (1) market driven, inclusive economic growth supporting increased job creation; and (2) effective and inclusive governance catalyzed through reform and greater accountability. The LRA presents a natural opportunity to advance these objectives, especially as the Act demonstrates a commitment to invest authority in local communities to govern the use of their own land through Community Land Development and Management Committees (CLDMCs). By focusing on CLDMC development, USAID will be investing in the Liberian government’s vision of local governance while giving communities tools to serve their own interests. LMA presents an opportunity to build on past USAID investments to assist Liberian communities to achieve effective and inclusive governance of their land and resources, with a focus on the following four objectives:
1. Communities obtain deeds to their communal land;
2. Communities plan and manage communal land for productive use;
3. Women, youth, and other marginalized groups participate in and benefit from communal land management; and
4. Communities utilize Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to resolve land disputes and grievances.
The LRA outlines a six-step process for formalizing community land rights (Figure 1), resulting in a deed being issued to the communities, who have gained a better understanding of their land rights, how they are shared among all community members, and who in the community works to effectively and equitably govern and manage their land. The LRA also includes provisions for establishing CLDMCs, inclusive governance bodies charged with making communal land decisions and developing sustainable Land Use Plans (LUPs):
1. Community Self-Identification
2. Governance By-laws and Structures
3. Community Land Identification and Mapping
4. Boundary Harmonization
5. LLA Confirmatory Survey
6. Deed Issuance and Registration
The CLRF process is lengthy and complex, and few communities can navigate it alone. With the support of international donors, Liberian civil society organizations (CSOs) have worked to help communities through the process and meet requirements associated with each step to ultimately secure land deeds.