Secure land rights for marginalized groups will accelerate MDGs achievement, says report

Addis Ababa, 28 March 2007 ---A forthcoming report by the Food Security and Sustainable Development (FSSD) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) says secure land rights in Africa would accelerate the achievement of all eight MDGs.

“Land rights are directly linked to the establishment and respect for human rights, especially for previously excluded groups such as women, pastoralists and indigenous people,” according to the Sustainable Development Report on Africa (SDRA) which will be published later this year.

The report argues that secure land rights can enhance the use of land resources thereby, reducing poverty (MDG1)and providing income, which can help in increasing school enrollment and attendance (MDG2).

Citing the International Land Coalition, the report says in developing countries, women currently own 2 per cent of all land and receive less than 5 percent of support services.

Therefore, in addition to empowering women economically (MDG3), land rights help to improve the social and political status of women, “contributing to the reduction in child mortality (MDG4) and maternal health (MDG5).

It says economic and social empowerment of women through secure land rights could prevent risky behaviour, which may lead to HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, food insecurity and susceptibility to other diseases (MDG6).

“Insecure land rights force the poor to adopt short-term strategies with detrimental effects on resource degradation,” says the report. (MDG7)

It adds that empowerment of marginalized groups through land rights could facilitate their participation in decisions and processes at all levels, leading to development of effective partnership for development (MDG8).