Location
About Us
We envision a world in which land governance systems, both formal and informal, are effective, accessible, and responsive for all. This is possible when land tenure and property rights are recognized as critical development issues and when the United States Government and its development partners demonstrate consistent attention and a firm commitment to supporting coordinated policies and programs that clarify and strengthen the land tenure and property rights of all members of society, enabling broad-based economic growth, gender equality, reduced incidence of conflicts, enhanced food security, improved resilience to climate change, and effective natural resource management.
Mission Statement
The USAID Land Tenure and Resource Management (LTRM) Office will lead the United States Government to realize international efforts—in accordance with the U.S. Government’s Land Governance Policy—to clarify and strengthen the land tenure and property rights of all members of society—individuals, groups and legal entities, including those individuals and groups that are often marginalized, and the LTRM Office will help ensure that land governance systems are effective, accessible, and responsive. We will achieve this by testing innovative models for securing land tenure and property rights and disseminating best practice as it relates to securing land rights and improving resource governance within the USG and our development partners.
Members:
Resources
Displaying 411 - 415 of 440Enhancing Customary Justice Systems in the Mau Forest: Kenya
General
The Enhancing Customary Justice Systems in the Mau Forest (Justice) Project piloted an approach for improving women’s access to customary justice, particularly related to women’s land rights, by enhancing the customary justice system in one target area. The work also resulted in a clearer understanding of the relationships between customary and statutory institutions and laws, and the development of a model to promote the integration of informal and formal justice systems. The pilot activity complemented other USAID programs in Kenya focused on addressing land/resource tenure, access to justice, and governance challenges, in the upper Mara River catchment area within the Mau Forest Complex, Kenya (“Mau”). By design, this project has relied extensively on assessments and other information, for and under the ProMara project, gathered since February 2010. The pilot project lasted from 2010 – 2012 and a follow-on project began in 2013. The follow-on project seeks to share the Kenya Justice Project approach as well as results and lessons learned from the Project evaluation to explore opportunities and support for broader sustainable application throughout Kenya, particularly focused on formalizing and institutionalizing linkages and processes between the formal and informal justice sectors, consistent with Article 159 of Kenya’s Constitution. Objectives Develop basic justice modules to train traditional leaders on provisions of the Kenyan Constitution and National Land Policy. Build capacity within the customary justice system to more effectively perform duties. Build women’s capacity to govern and to know, understand, and exercise their rights. Support justice learning related to the Kenyan Constitution and the National Land Policy within schools and families. Raise community’s legal awareness. Outcomes Chiefs publicly issued a new Katiba (local constitution) to guide their decision making and legal responsibilities to the community. Significant increases in women’s access to land and control over household level decision-making around land and other family assets. In addition, several women in the community now have their names on land titles, including widows. Two of the Ol Pusimoru sub-locations elected 14 women elders out of 50 total in 2012. This election of women as elders is the first within the Maasai and Kalenjin communities. The number of women elders grew to 22 in 2013 and 33 out of 50 elders total in 2014. Chiefs and elders now require spousal consent (with witnesses) for all land transactions, including leases. In the Ol Mariko sub-location, women who received training made the request that elders no longer hear rape cases. The elder council agreed with the request and is now referring all such cases to formal legal systems. Trained 34 women in environmental and forest management and alternative dispute resolution. These women then conducted over 20 peer sessions, reaching more than 268 women.
Governance in Environment Frontiers: Brazil
General
The Governance in Environment Frontiers project seeks to improve sustainable environmental resource management of farm producers under the responsible sourcing chain of soy and beef production, in private properties on the Amazon fringe and in the Xingu region in the state of Mato Grosso. The project will also build capacity of local indigenous populations in forest fire management in order to help conserve local biodiversity. Objectives Follow up and compliance verification of “Social-Environmental Compliance Plan –SCP” in selected farms working in the soy and cattle ranching business, Build capacity to agricultural producers on social-environmental best practices; and Train and implement Fire Brigades with indigenous people in the Xingu Indigenous Reserve region. Outcomes Improved natural resource management on 128,000 hectares. 250 people (small and large producers, governmental officers and technicians) trained on good practices and sustainable management in the farming sector. 150 indigenous people fire fighters trained and equipped in fire management techniques.
Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development II: Côte d’Ivoire
General
The Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development (PRADD) II program will build on the successes of the predecessor PRADD project that was implemented under the Property Rights and Resource Governance Task Order. PRADD and PRADD II were developed to support country compliance with the Kimberley Process (KP), “a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.” The overarching goal of PRADD and PRADD II are to increase the percentage of diamonds entering the legal chain of custody, while improving the livelihoods of artisanal diamond mining communities. PRADD II is financed through a Congressional Earmark in support of the Clean Diamond Trade Act and managed by USAID’s Land Tenure and Property Rights Division within the E3 Bureau. The LTPR Division closely coordinates with the US Department of State and US Geological Survey who also provide support to the KPCS. PRADD II will continue to be a landmark program for the United States Government (USG), the Kimberley Process and the development community at large. PRADD was one of the first and largest development projects concentrated on the Kimberley Process and artisanal diamond mining challenges. Significantly, PRADD has been instrumental in helping the KPCS modify its goals from a narrow focus on traceability, regulation and enforcement systems to a broader focus recognizing the role of economic development in bringing rough diamonds into legitimate chains of custody, and consequently better addressing the challenges of conflict diamonds. This transition is demonstrated by the recent adoption of the Washington Declaration at the 2012 Kimberley Process Plenary meetings that occurred in November in Washington, DC. Due to the limited number of development institutions and experiences in the artisanal mining sector, PRADD II will continue to test and evaluate approaches to achieving its objectives while also consolidating program successes, to encourage other donors and governments to implement PRADD-type programs to achieve KPCS objectives. PRADD II also operates in Guinea.
Kosovo Property Rights Program
General
The rule of law in Kosovo is constrained by poorly defined and enforced property rights, especially the property rights of women and members of minority communities. The absence of an effective property rights regime weakens democratic governance, impacts human rights, disempowers women and impedes sustainable economic growth. Working closely with the EU, the Kosovo Property Rights Program (PRP) will assist the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to develop a property reform strategy and new property law. PRP is the only donor-funded project in Kosovo working to improve court procedures related to property claims, with an emphasis on improving court practices that prevent women from inheriting property in practice. The project supports implementation of USAID Forward and Local Solutions by building the capacity of Kosovo Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and municipal governments to manage and administer USAID direct awards through grants and Government to Government (G2G) agreements. PRP supports local CSOs to develop and implement public information, awareness, and advocacy campaigns to inform women and men about women’s rights to property and change attitudes and behaviors that prevent women from inheriting property. The project also builds municipal capacity to improve delivery of property related services, enabling citizens to more efficiently engage in property related transactions. The overall goal of the Property Rights Program (PRP) is to improve the property rights regime in Kosovo, strengthen the rule of law, and increase economic growth and investment. The Property Rights Program is implemented under four objectives: Objectives Objective 1: Better Coordination and Policy Priorities Objective 2: Improved Court Procedures Related to Property Claims Objective 3: Enhance Women’s Rights to Use Property in Practice Objective 4: Improved Communication, Access to Information, and Understanding of Property Rights Expected Outcomes Development of implementation-oriented legislation to clearly define property rights and improve tenure security for women and members of minority communities Development of improved court procedures to more efficiently resolve property claims and disputes Increased capacity of courts to decide and enforce property rights Increased capacity of Civil Society Organizations to raise public awareness, change societal attitudes and behaviors, and advocate for women’s rights to property Increased number of women inheriting property and securing access to credit Municipalities improve delivery of services to enable citizens to more easily transact their property rights
Land Governance Support Activity
General
The Land Governance Support Activity (LGSA) supports the establishment of more effective land governance systems, ready to implement comprehensive reforms to improve equitable access to land and security of tenure, so as to facilitate inclusive sustained growth and development, ensure peace and security, and provide sustainable management of the environment. LGSA is applying USAID’s collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) principles through the demand-driven support to the land reform agenda led by the GOL; strengthening of land governance human and institutional capacity; development of a customary land rights recognition model based on the Land Rights Policy that can be scaled up; and support of stakeholder engagement in land governance through communications and outreach and strengthening of local capacity through the provision of land sector services. In all project activities, LGSA, through partnership with government and civil society, is developing a focused and results-oriented approach through innovative yet cost-effective tools and best practices. Activities are implemented through consultative processes with USAID; the Project Advisory Committee (PAC); and government, civil society, and donor counterparts. The use of a gender-sensitive approach ensures buy-in from all stakeholders, leading to a stronger sustainability model. Objectives Strengthen policy, legal and regulatory framework for land governance Improve functionality of GOL land governance institutions Strengthen protection of customary land rights Strengthen stakeholder engagement in land governance