Government takes leadership of the ‘Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Tenure’
Implementing the principle of accountability and good governance
12 May 2015, Freetown, Sierra Leone -- The Government of Sierra Leone through its relevant line-ministries has taken the leadership in the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) at country level.
In an inter-ministerial committee meeting held on 12th of May 2015, key concerned ministries – including the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security; Lands, Country Planning and the Environment; Fisheries and Marine Resources; and the Ministry of Justice - endorsed the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, as the Chairman of the inter-ministerial committee for a six month-period while the Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment agreed to host the secretariat for the VGGT iniative.
Dr. Sam Sesay stated that the ‘Voluntary Guidelines’ are very essential in the management of natural resources. “It is important for the government to implement the VGGT in other to ensure that the natural resources benefit the people. Better policies are to be formulated to address land issues in other to avoid a situation resulting to landlessness in the country”, he stressed.
He noted that the country has over the years witnessed an overwhelming influx of foreign investors, and most of whom are acquiring larger portions of land for investment purposes which have resulted to peoples’ land been taken away from them through lease agreements that might not be beneficial to the land owning families.
The Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr. Gabriel Rugalema, commended the government ministers for their active participation and taking the lead in the implementation of the ‘Voluntary Guidelines’, noting also that the country stands a better opportunity, especially now that it is undergoing economic transformation.
“The VGGT process could also be decentralized and reaching out to more people in inclusive and participatory efforts towards diffusing tensions and conflicts over land issue”, he pleaded.
The purpose of the Voluntary Guidelines is to serve as a reference and to provide guidance to improve the governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests with the main goal of achieving food security for all and to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security.
Political will, multi-sectorial approach, an establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform and the sourcing of qualified internal consultants among others are key in the implementation of the ‘Voluntary Guidelines’ at country level, as VGGT Project Focal Point in Sierra Leone, Dr. Fatmata Kebay-Sesay, addressed the inter-ministerial meeting.
The VGGT implementation processes started in Sierra Leone in 2015, but activities were scaled down due to the Ebola disease outbreak in the country.
Links: http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home/cfsevents/vggt/en/
Contact: [email protected]