United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN's five regional commissions, ECA's mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa's development. Made up of 54 member States, and playing a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape, ECA is well positioned to make unique contributions to address the Continent’s development challenges.

Projects:

The Land Policy Initiative (LPI)

The Land Policy Initiative(LPI) is a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its purpose is to enable the use of land to lend impetus to the process of African development. The programme is governed by a Steering Committee that meets periodically, while a joint secretariat implements day to day activities. The secretariat is assisted by an African Taskforce on Land. After having developed the Framework and Guidelines (F&G) on land policy in Africa, and received the mandate from the African Union (AU) to use it in support of national and regional land policy processes, the LPI is now moving towards assisting AU Member States in developing or reviewing their land policies as well as in implementing and evaluating these policies.

Its purpose is to enable the use of land to lend impetus to the process of African development.

Vision: A peaceful and prosperous Africa realized through equitable access, efficient and sustainable utilization of land.

Mission : To ensure all land users have equitable access to land and security of all bundles of land rights, by facilitating effective partnerships, dialogue and capacity building for participatory and consultative land policy formulation and implementation, as well as efficient and transparent land administration in both customary and statutory jurisdictions.

Goal : To assist Member States in the implementation of the declaration on land issues and challenges in Africa in accordance with the Framework and Guidelines on land policy in Africa in order to achieve socio-economic development, peace and security, and environmental sustainability.

Current targets of the initiative include: Twenty Member States developing land policies and adopting implementation tools that enhance women’s secure access to land; and recognize the legitimacy of Africa’s customary based land rights and institutions by 2020. Ten Member States putting in place transparent, efficient and cost-effective Land administration systems which are reflective of Africa’s unique realities by 2020