Network Support Programme Activity

In support of strengthening and building partnership with LandNet West Africa, the International Land Coalition will co-finance, together with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the forthcoming Workshop in Lome 20-22 October 2003, on the theme of "Land Issues and Poverty Alleviation - Bringing the Challenge to Agenda for the West African Civil Society."

The support, an amount of US$9,200, will cover the participation costs of member of LandNet West Africa from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Guinee and Togo, including airfare and per diem, and other relevant participation costs. In addition, the amount also includes the participation cost for LandNet East Africa, represented by Uganda Land Alliance.

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The three-day Workshop includes the following:

(Day 1) 20 October 2003 - Meeting of LandNet West Africa members with LandNet East Africa and International Land Coalition as invited participants.

• This one-day preliminary meeting will provide an opportunity for the members to discuss their current situation and future prospects. It is expected that the outcome of the meeting will result in an agreed work plan of activities that will aim to sustain and strengthen the institutional structure and sub-regional coordination of LandNet West Africa. In addition, stronger linkages and strategic partnerships with other key institutions, particularly International Land Coalition, CILSS and LandNet East Africa, will be identified together with concrete plans for collaboration.

(Day 2 and Day 3) 21-22 October 2003 - LandNet West Africa Sub-Regional Workshop on the theme "Land Issues and Poverty Alleviation - Bringing the Challenge to Agenda for the West African Civil Society".

• The presentations and outcome of the discussions from this two-day workshop will form a basis for LandNet West Africa's strategy and contribution to the forthcoming CILSS Praia +9 meeting on Rural Land Tenure and Sustainable Development in West Africa, Bamako,17-22 November 2003. It is expected that the International Land Coalition will also be involved in the preparatory process.

• Having been identified by the LandNet West Africa as its strategic partners, both institutions (LandNet West Africa and ILC) will aim to agree to work on a common theme, such as follow up to the workshop on pastoral land, held in Dakar in May 2003, through exchange of knowledge and experiences that can be disseminated to Coalition partners.

• The objective for linking LandNet East Africa/Uganda Land Alliance and inviting the representative to the Workshop is for both the networks to draw lessons from East Africa and to encourage future exchange to help strengthen both networks.

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Completion and Submission of Outcomes of the Workshop:

The outcomes expected from the Workshop and to be submitted to the Coalition no later than 31 December 2003, include the following:

1. Country Profiles highlighting the state of land policy issues from members of the LandNet West Africa;

2. Joint Coalition/LandNet West Africa Plan of Activities on pastoralists and access to land, including documentation of knowledge and experiences from LandNet West Africa;

3. Agreed Plan of Action for partnership between the International Land Coalition and LandNet West Africa;

4. Final report of the three-day Workshop with an acknowledgement of the International Land Coalition as a co-sponsor of the Workshop (dissemination of the report to LandNet West Africa partners and other constituencies will be the responsibility of LandNet West Africa); and

5. LandNet West Africa's responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the activity.

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Overall goal of LandNet West Africa

The LandNet West Africa originates from a set of processes engaged in the Sub-Region after the 1990s. Its broad objective is to gradually build up consensus around efficient and equitable land policies in the interest of all stakeholders including sustainable development.

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Specific objectives

The specific objectives assigned to the LandNet West Africa Networks are to:

• Share experiences and good practices to improve land management;

• Build up individual and institutional capacities;

• Give support to the respective stakeholders in order to impact the development and implementation of policies relating to land ownership;

• Create data bases on land ownership issues which can be accessible to the various stakeholders; and

• Foster collaboration and action synergism among stakeholders.

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Activities of LandNet West Africa

The following have been identified as activities for LandNet West Africa when it was launched in February 2001:

• Strengthen existing national networks and assist in creating land networks in countries in which there are no networks;

• Collect and disseminate information on the respective national networks;

• Identify topics of common interest with a view to organizing a regional meeting;

• Establish and develop contacts with other sub-regional networks ( East Africa and Southern Africa ) and with development partners; and

• Develop initiatives aimed at raising funds for the implementation of the network activities.

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Factors Ensuring Sustainability

The preparations and work leading to this three-day Workshop will be an important process for the sustainability of LandNet West Africa. The invitation by LandNet West Africa to the International Land Coalition to be a strategic partner in order to build up a stronger network in West Africa will be discussed in this meeting, particularly during the preliminary meeting (Day 1). The Coalition is supporting the conference/workshop as a means of supporting the strengthening of LandNet West Africa.

One of the lessons learned from Coalition experience over the last seven years is the need to identify a common theme on which to work together. In order to be more concrete we need to have a better understanding of each other's potentials and to work together on an agreed theme or agenda to push it at the national and global levels.

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