Land reform indicators should consider Africa's customary tenure and high level of poverty, experts say

Addis Ababa, 4 May 2007 (ECA) Indicators for land reform in Africa should consider issues relating to customary tenure, low level of documentation, high levels of poverty and the status of the poor and the marginalized, land expert said today in Addis Ababa at the end of a two-day meeting on the modalities for developing benchmarks and indicators.

In a 14-paragraph recommendation, the experts said the indicators should also consider Africa's rapid urbanization and slums; poor data on land; ad hoc land policy process; low tenure security for women; and initiatives of new land certification.

They called for broad consultations on the development of the benchmarks and indicators “in recognition of the multifaceted nature of land as a resource that relates to the social-cultural, economic, and political aspects of people's lives”.

They said such consultations would ensure buy-in by all stakeholders and guarantee the applicability of the benchmarks and indicators .

In order to ensure that stakeholders contribute adequately to the development process, strategies for capacity building should be included in the benchmarks and indicators process, the experts said.