CONCEPT NOTE. Overview. 1. Why have this partnership? What problem will it help to solve? May 26, 2015

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1 May 26, 2015 CONCEPT NOTE G7-SIERRA LEONE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES ON THE RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE OF TENURE OF LAND, FISHERIES AND FORESTS IN THE CONTEXT OF NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY (VGGT) Overview 1. Why have this partnership? What problem will it help to solve? Sierra Leone is a poor country with significant problems of poverty and food insecurity affecting over half and about one-third of its population respectively. Gradually, the country is emerging from the ravages of civil war and is currently experiencing a respectable level of economic growth and political stability that has potential to raise the living standard and bring the country into the world economy. The main driver of recent economic growth is the increase in direct foreign investment particularly in mining and agriculture sectors. Over the last ten years or so, the government, donor agencies and NGOs have focused on institutional capacity building, infrastructure development, livelihood resiliency and other forms of social investment. This dynamism in the economy is creating a big need for new frameworks for investment, governance and management of natural resources, agriculture development, sustainable land use and management, and social justice including tenure rights. The government is acutely aware of this need as reflected in the recently launched Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) III (The Agenda for Prosperity). The eradication of hunger and poverty, and the sustainable use of the environment, depend in large measure on how people, communities and others gain access to land, fisheries and forests. The livelihoods of many, particularly the rural poor, are based on secure and equitable access to and control over these resources. They are the source of food and shelter; the basis for social, cultural and religious practices; and a central factor in economic growth. Inadequate and insecure tenure rights to natural resources often result in extreme poverty and hunger. Many tenure problems arise because of weak governance, and the quality of governance affects the attempts to fix these problems. The government recognizes that lack of responsible governance of tenure may derail the economic and political gains made since the end of the civil war in

2 The partnership between the Government of Sierra Leone, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) intends to support the Government of Sierra Leone to effectively implement the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) with the overall aim of improving the governance of tenure in the country, especially in the context of large-scale investments. The German-FAO Trust Fund Project Arrangement GCP/GLO/347/GER "Support to Country Level Implementation of the VGGT" and GCP/GLO/501/GER Learning Programmes to support the implementation of the VGGT in five countries - to the extent that it refers to activities in Sierra Leone and to the extent that funds for activities are available provides the technical basis for the agreement and the basis upon which any monitoring and evaluation of the partnership agreement will take place. The partnership will also foster and sustain national and international political commitments to improve land governance and increase land transparency and improve coordination in Sierra Leone in the context of the G8. Respecting the inextricable linkages of the land, fisheries and forestry sectors as set out in the VGGT the partnership between Sierra Leone, Germany and FAO will extend to the fisheries and forestry sectors. At the G8 Open for Growth event on 15 June 2013 the G8, under UK leadership, announced bold steps to strengthen land governance and improve transparency in land transactions. To accelerate implementation of the VGGT and the Land Policy Initiative of the AU (LPI), the G8 announced a series of country-level Land Partnerships with certain developing countries and relevant international organizations. The Partnerships will be tailored to the needs of each country and will support existing land governance programs in collaboration with the private sector businesses and civil society. 2. How is this partnership supporting the implementation of the VGGT and the African Frameworks and Guidelines on Land Policy? The VGGT are the first globally endorsed document that set the scene on how tenure and access rights to land, fisheries and forests should be handled. The VGGT signify a global engagement towards changing the rules of the game by placing tenure firmly in the context of poverty reduction and food security and by promoting more transparent and accountable tenure structures and administrations. Due to the complementary nature of the VGGT and the AUC, ECA, AfDB Land Policy Initiative (LPI) Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa (F&G) FAO has a strong partnership with the Land Policy Initiative in the region. In this respect, Switzerland and the EU have agreed to fund two FAO Land Tenure Officers to be based in the LPI Secretariat in Addis Ababa in order to further strengthen synergies between the two initiatives. This new land partnership with Sierra Leone will provide targeted support for the implementation of the VGGT giving due consideration to the interconnectivity of governance of tenure of different natural resource sectors, through a multi-sectoral intervention addressing six thematic areas: Legal Framework Assessment, Land Administration, Large-scale Agricultural Investments and Enabling Technologies, Fisheries Tenure, Forestry Tenure and Right to Food. Furthermore, supporting the development of a multi-stakeholder platform and related institutional bodies will be an additional 2

3 element of the partnership. These sectoral activities will be interlinked, jointly implemented and mutually supportive. Three annual meetings (one each year of the project live span) of the Steering Committee of the Land Partnership as set out in section 5 of the concept note will reinforce these sectoral activities and will provide a forum for reviewing progress and planning follow-on activities. In addition, Sierra Leone will be included in a learning platform to promote the implementation of the VGGT in five countries. 3

4 3. Who is involved (government, private sector, smallholder farmers, customary institutions and civil society)? What will their role be in the partnership? The partnership between the Government of Sierra Leone, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and FAO aims at increasing the Government s capacity for self-assessment, formulating policy and legal instruments and forming requests in order to improve governance of tenure, including land administration and to implement the VGGT. The partnership will also focus on raising awareness of the VGGT, increase the ability of the Government and its citizens to understand and administer tenure rights and the processes involved in providing access to and transferring such rights, supporting multi-stakeholder national platforms and the development of plans for mainstreaming the VGGT. The principal but indirect beneficiaries of the project are the people, especially those holding informal but legitimate tenure rights, and the Government who will benefit from improved governance of tenure. In particular, ethnic minorities, women, orphan children, illiterate, disabled, refugees or internally displaced, youth and the elderly are among the groups most vulnerable to losing their tenure rights in the face of increasing pressure on land, fisheries and forests including pressures due to large-scale investments, and will benefit from responsible, pro-poor and provulnerable governance of tenure. The VGGT put great emphasis on participatory and transparent decision making. States are encouraged to set up multi-stakeholder platforms and frameworks at the local, national and regional levels to collaborate on the implementation of the VGGT. Furthermore development partners, specialized agencies of the UN, and regional organizations are encouraged to support efforts by States to implement the VGGT. Therefore, the project will facilitate a process of multi-stakeholder dialogue and intervention to ensure that governance of tenure benefits from a broad based and inclusive process. Government participation: The state is the primary duty bearer in the governance of tenure. Thus, while FAO will provide technical support for the implementation of the partnership, the Government of Sierra Leone will provide leadership for the implementation of this partnership in the following ways: Liaise with all branches of government to ensure that a conducive environment for the implementation of the VGGT in the country is established and ensure coordination among relevant government line ministries; Appoint a dedicated agency within Government to coordinate, champion, and drive forward the process of implementation of the VGGT and to act as a focal point for interacting with the multi-stakeholder platform. Until such a government body can be established, a line ministry takes leadership of the process; Facilitate the establishment and coordination of a multi-stakeholder platform on tenure governance to play a key role in the development of a road map for the implementation of the VGGT and in monitoring progress on implementation, which includes the GoSL (representing land, fisheries, and forests and central and decentralised government), Civil 4

5 Society Organisations (including the media), NGOs and INGOs (including development partners), traditional leaders, the private sector and representatives of tenure right holders; Facilitate the formation of additional institutional bodies from the Multi-stakeholder platform which will coordinate and promote the decisions of the Multi-stakeholder platform. The Sierra Leonean Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Forestry serves as the Sierra Leonean partner responsible for the implementation of the Land Partnership until advised otherwise. Depending on the division of competencies within the Government of Sierra Leone and the above stated responsibilities, additional Ministries of the Government of Sierra Leone will be involved. Participation of Civil Society including NGOs and smallholder farmers: Civil Society has responsibility to support government and communities in assessing tenure governance, identifying improvements and applying them as well as participating in dialogues and advocacy activities aimed at improving governance of tenure for sustainable development. Civil Society Organisations (including the media), NGOs and INGOs (including development partners), traditional leaders and representatives of tenure rights holders and Community Based Organizations with relevant experience in the field of tenure governance, such as Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and other relevant international, regional and national bodies, and relevant statutory bodies particularly the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, will be key members of the multi-stakeholder platform and related institutional bodies where applicable. The Multi-stakeholder platform: The Multi-stakeholder platform will be an advisory body. As set out in the communiqué developed during the multi-stakeholder workshop to implement the VGGT in Sierra Leone on 3-4 April 2014 in Freetown it s mandate will be to develop a road map for the implementation of the VGGT and monitor their effective implementation across all sectors and relevant institutions. The mandate will extend to, but not be limited to, the following: a. Developing a strategy for implementing and monitoring responsible governance of tenure; b. Undertaking an assessment of relevant sectors in order to identify VGGT entry points and to act as a benchmark for monitoring, by using a self-assessment tool such as the Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF), as soon as possible; c. Harmonizing legal frameworks, policies and regulations on land, fisheries and forests (across ministries and sectors) in the context of the VGGT; d. Addressing issues relating to the speed, scope, process and practice of large-scale land acquisition in the context of the VGGT, especially stressing the need for a comprehensive review of MoUs and land lease agreements and inclusive and meaningful participation of stakeholder communities; e. Working in cooperation with relevant partners, promoting mapping of national land, fisheries and forests; f. Addressing issues of gender inequality across all sectors and issues, including, but not limited to land ownership, inheritance, information, inclusive negotiations and security of tenure; 5

6 g. Working to ensure sufficient funding will be in place for the continuation of the platform and its associated activities from sources such as GoSL, development partners and others; h. Liaising with GoSL to establish the Government focal point to spearhead this process at the earliest appropriate time. Participation of Germany and FAO: Germany and FAO will provide support as outlined in the German-FAO Trust Fund Project Arrangement GCP/GLO/347/GER "Support to Country Level Implementation of the VGGT and GCP/GLO/501/GER Learning Programmes to support the implementation of the VGGT in five countries - to the extent that they refer to activities in Sierra Leone and to the extent that funds for activities are available. Objectives 4. What are the specific objectives of the partnership? The objectives of this partnership are: 1) Awareness building, capacity development and support to multi-stakeholder platform: To establish and operationalize a multi-stakeholder platform which will include the Government of Sierra Leone (representing land, fisheries, and forests and central and decentralised government), Civil society Organisations (including the media), NGOs and INGOs (including development partners), traditional leaders, the private sector and representatives of tenure right holders and related institutional bodies for the purpose of playing a key role in the development of a road map for the implementation of the VGGT and in monitoring progress on implementation. 2) Legal Framework Assessment: To carry out a detailed review of relevant sectoral legislation (land, fisheries and forestry) in the context of the VGGT, including cross-cutting issues such as gender-equitable laws and regulations to be used and when improving the legal and policy framework and ultimately guide the land, fisheries and forestry tenure systems in Sierra Leone with the aim of increasing access to and tenure security of these resources with a special emphasis on vulnerable and marginalized groups. This will provide the framework for sectoral activities based on policy, regulatory and capacity development and for the elaboration of Guidelines on the issue of large-land investments in agriculture in Sierra Leone. 3.1) Large Scale Investments: Building on the draft Guidelines for Sustainable Agricultural and Bioenergy Investment elaborate Guidelines for large-scale investments in agriculture in Sierra Leone. 6

7 3.2) Land Administration and enabling technologies: To enhance the capacity of the relevant institutions and personnel, including by designing and implementing training programmes that will enable them to understand, adopt, implement and popularize land, forest and fisheries governance policies and legal frameworks. To provide technical support to the land policy review efforts and support the Government in its implementation, when it is approved by the Government of Sierra Leone, and related activities, including options for enabling technologies and including an additional focus on large scale agricultural investments. 4) Fisheries and aquaculture: To prepare a roadmap to improve governance of tenure in fisheries and aquaculture in Sierra Leone based on a baseline assessment of fisheries and aquaculture governance. 5) Forestry: To prepare implementation plans and a capacity development programme aimed at strengthening the security of forest tenure rights for local communities and indigenous people, promoting sustainable management of forest resources and investment in forestbased enterprises for poverty reduction and improved food security, in line with Sierra Leone s new Forestry Policy. 6) Right to Food: To analyze and design a pilot mechanism on accountability and grievance mechanisms in the context of the right to food. The aim of this activity is to establish a system that allows Civil Society to inform Government about areas of potential conflict. Such complaint or grievance mechanisms are used in many programmes that have a wide coverage and/or deal with issues that are prone to corruption. 5. How will progress toward the objectives be measured? The Steering Committee of the Land Partnership made up of members from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany [German Embassy to Sierra Leone under close guidance of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMEL) 1 ], Government of Sierra Leone, and FAO will review the progress of the whole VGGT implementation programme at least once a year, and decide on adjustments to the annual work plans, budgets, and other elements of the project as appropriate. Representatives of the multi-stakeholder platform, as an advisory body to the partnership, through their Steering committee and Technical Working Group will have the opportunity to provide their views on the progress of the project to the Steering Committee of the partnership. 1 The German Embassy of Sierra leone will represent the German side in the Steering Committee. The Embassy will work in close contact with BMEL. 7

8 The national Project Coordination Officer (PCO) of FAO will be responsible for coordinating activities under this project, including the monitoring of the progress and results of this project within the framework of the whole umbrella. Reports will be produced quarterly and annually by the Project Coordination Officer. All FAO personnel providing technical support services will provide mission reports and\or workshop reports as appropriate containing the main results, conclusions and recommendations for future actions. The multi-stakeholder platform and its annual meetings will serve as an additional forum to monitor progress including all stakeholders. Moreover, the actual project documents (Project symbols GCP/GLO/347/GER and GCP/GLO/501/GER) include an FAO Project Results Matrix which will be used for monitoring purposes. The FAO-Project Coordination Officer will provide information on the progress of the partnership with regard to the G8-reporting requirements under the Land Transparency and Governance Initiative. Achieving objectives 6. What activities will be undertaken? What are the expected results from each? Who is responsible for each activity? By when are results expected? What will change as a result of the partnership? Improving governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests requires coordinated efforts from several disciplines and stakeholder groups. For every given activity the most relevant Ministry in cooperation with FAO will lead and work in close collaboration with other relevant Ministries. These Ministries include, in alphabetical order, the Ministries of Agriculture, Food Security and Forestry; Justice; Lands, Country Planning and the Environment; Local Government and Rural Development; Marine Resources and Fisheries; Mines and Mineral Resources; Social Welfare, Gender and Children s Affairs; Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The designation of Ministries to activities will be part of the second meeting of the national multi-stakeholder platform. 1) Awareness building, capacity development and support to multi-stakeholder platform: Establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform and related institutions which will include the Government of Sierra Leone (representing land, fisheries, and forests and central and decentralized government), Civil Society Organizations (including the media), NGOs and INGOs (including development partners), traditional leaders, the private sector and representatives of tenure right holders for the purpose of playing a key role in the development of a road map for the implementation of the VGGT and in monitoring progress on implementation. Delivery of learning programmes to support the implementation of the VGGT in five countries, including Sierra Leone. The VGGT learning programmes are targeted at national actors who will be provided an opportunity to review and understand the VGGT in-depth, develop and sustain a national network of key stakeholders, to assess the situation and 8

9 activities related to tenure in their countries, and to develop action plans for advancing the implementation of the VGGT. 2) Legal Framework Assessment A detailed and participatory review of relevant sectoral legislation (land, fisheries and forestry) in the context of the VGGT, including cross-cutting issues such as gender-equitable laws and regulations will be conducted. The output will be a report which will identify gaps for the implementation of the VGGT and will provide concrete recommendations on how to address those gaps. This will provide the framework for sectoral activities based on policy, regulatory and capacity development. Recommendations will include cross-cutting issues such as access to justice, conflict resolution and dispute settlement and issues in the context of large-scale investments. 3.1) Large Scale Investments Recommendations from the legal review and the draft Guidelines for Sustainable Agricultural and Bioenergy Investment will be included in the Guidelines on the issue of large-land investments in agriculture in Sierra Leone. The Guidelines on the issue of large-scale investments in agriculture in Sierra Leone will be adopted as a legally binding document. 3.2) Land Administration and enabling technologies Conduct a capacity development assessment in the land sector for adequate land administration, surveys and mapping infrastructure for institutions and personnel to underpin the implementation of the NLP and other relevant policies at national, regional and chiefdom levels and institutional initiatives and reforms. Based on the outcome of the assessment, design a capacity building programme for effective delivery. Transfer of knowledge and development of recommendations for improving land administration through computerization. This will include: (a) undertaking a review of current land record systems and practices in order to assess the feasibility of introducing computerised systems (such as a customised version of the FAO open source software, SOLA) to improve governance through better records systems; (b) facilitating training, meetings and discussion in order to assist government to better understand options for enabling technologies; and (c) undertaking interim development work and assist in the preparation of fully-fledged project proposals for implementation of and training on such systems. 4) Fisheries and aquaculture: Preparation of a draft roadmap based on a baseline assessment of fisheries and aquaculture governance. Activities will include: In parallel with the legal assessment, an institutional assessment will be undertaken to inform on various governmental and non-governmental organizations (including other ongoing initiatives such as for fisheries the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem, and the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem), institutions and their roles and capacities in relation to tenure issues. The outcome of this process should be (a) a mapping of these institutions and their respective roles vis-à-vis governance of tenure, (b) recommendations for institutional strengthening and capacity development and to 9

10 support VGGT implementation and (c) a rapid assessment of perceived governance gaps from the perspectives of different stakeholders; and a draft roadmap for addressing the gaps and priorities for action will be identified in close collaborative consultation with the different stakeholders and in collaboration with Components 3.2 (Land), 3.4 (Forestry) and 3.5 (Right to food). 5) Forestry: Based upon an assessment of the forestry regulatory framework (including community forestry tenure rights), preparation of implementation plans and a capacity development programme aimed at strengthening the security of forest tenure rights for local communities and indigenous people, promoting sustainable management of forest resources and investment in forest-based enterprises for poverty reduction and improved food security, in line with Sierra Leone s new Forestry Policy. Support to ensure the integration of issues of forest tenure in the preparation of the implementation plans of the 2010 Forestry Policy (and the 2011 Conservation and Wildlife policy), including forest improvement plans at community levels and support to the development or amendment of secondary legislation as required. Based on the assessment of the forest regulatory framework (activity 3.1) provide support in strengthening tenure related capacity of the Forestry Division at different geographical levels, including implementing forest tenure reform processes, to meaningfully engage and contribute to addressing tenure issues in community forestry. Undertake pilot activities in one district, to generate experiences for implementing the principles and elements of the community based forest management guidelines for sub- Saharan Africa. These activities will include strengthening capacity at community and district level on participatory forestry and conflict management, focusing on forest tenure related issues, and initiating a process of developing Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) guidelines in Sierra Leone. A draft roadmap for addressing the gaps and priorities for action will be identified in close collaborative consultation with the different stakeholders and in collaboration with activities with regard to land, forestry and Right to food/recourse. 6.) Right to Food Analysis and design of a pilot mechanism on accountability and grievance mechanisms in the context of the right to food. The aim of this activity is to establish a system that allows civil society to inform Government about areas of potential conflict. Such complaint or grievance mechanisms are used in many programmes that have a wide coverage and/or deal with issues that are prone to corruption. Providing guidance to Government, civil servants and others, on how to increase transparency, presentation of different types of grievance mechanisms and identification of best entry point for Sierra Leone, through various forums, including the framework of the annual multi-stakeholder workshops to be held in Sierra Leone under Component 1 (above), and workshops planned under SIL/042/GER. 10

11 Analysis of similar mechanisms used in Sierra Leone (identifying what worked/what didn t work and for what reasons, identifying the political, technical, economic or social obstacles to such mechanisms, etc). Design of a pilot mechanism (limited in geographic coverage or on specific concerns only) and testing. This will involve training and capacity building of users of the grievance mechanisms, both the civil society members that may report misconduct as well as the designated institute/officials responsible for responding to the allegations. Presentation of the finding and recommendations on scaling-up. Production of a manual on how to properly use the grievance mechanism. A detailed work plan with deadlines is attached as an appendix to this Concept Note. 7. Long term Objectives The Partnership will contribute to achieving the following long term objectives: Improved governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests. Increased tenure security, especially in the context of large scale investments especially for small holder famers and other marginalized and vulnerable groups. Social cohesion, increased food security and reduced poverty, especially for small holder farmers as well as other vulnerable and marginalized groups, through ensuring that largescale agricultural investments and other transfers of tenure rights are being initiated and conducted in line with the VGGT principles including investment formats/models that allow for partnerships with small holder farmers (e.g. inclusion of small holder farmers in commercial value chains, out grower schemes etc.). Promotion of socioeconomic wellbeing of host communities of large-scale investments and the population at large through ensuring the undertaking of Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSRs), improved collection and distribution of taxes and addressing environmental issues and taking into account Sierra Leone s Local Content Policy/Law. An improved climate for responsible investments in Sierra Leone, that addresses tenure issues from a food security and entitlements perspective, which protects local tenure rights, facilitate investors access to genuinely available land and other resources, and creates incentives for inclusive business models that share value with local farmers and do not imply transfers of tenure rights. Increased equitable economic growth including through respecting tenure rights, employment creation and income increase at the individual level increased tax revenues at national level. 11

12 Reduced incidents in land disputes through the design of a pilot mechanism for the mitigation and arbitration of land disputes and on accountability and grievance in the context of the right to food set in place. Strong and better relationships between Civil Society (including NGOs) development partners, the government, traditional leaders and private sector and a multi-stakeholder platform set in place. 8. How long will the partnership take? How will it fit to longer term activities? The Partnership will commence in 2014 and will continue throughout the two and a half years of the German-FAO Trust Fund Project Arrangement GCP/GLO/347/GER "Support to Country Level Implementation of the VGGT and GCP/GLO/501/GER Learning Programmes to support the implementation of the VGGT in five countries. Key to the process is the Legal Framework Assessment which will enable each thematic area to build upon its findings and tailor its expected results to the gaps identified. Relationship to other development assistance? 9. How does the partnership relate to existing and planning development assistance? FAO operations in Sierra Leone commenced in 1978, and since the end of the armed conflict ( ) FAO has provided continuing support to assist in rebuilding its economic base and source of food security through the agriculture sector. The emphasis has been in strengthening government, farmer associations and private institutions that are core to agriculture and fisheries growth. Through its project GCP/SIL/042/GER - Mainstreaming the right to food and nutrition into the Smallholder Commercialization Plan - FAO supports Sierra Leone in integrating nutrition (quality of diets) and right to food component into the country s Smallholder Commercialization Programme (SCP). The SCP is the presidential flagship programme to boost agriculture as a business. It is part of the longer-term National Agriculture Investment Plan, the country s national Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) compact. The SCP attracted USD 50 million funding from Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and many development partners aligned their support with one of the five pillars of the programme. The proposed FAO activities under this project will work towards outputs that: Strengthen governance and coordination at national and district level; and Facilitate the implementation of practical measures to improve nutritional status of individuals at the field level. At the local level in Sierra Leone, development partners such as Irish Aid, World Bank and DFID have shown interest in the land partnership. The priority themes of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) are based on the Transitional Joint Vision as well as UNCT assessment of the current development climate and identification of key areas 12

13 where a united UN voice will lead to action. UNCT has 7 priority themes and the most relevant ones to this partnership include the following: Theme 1: Support to Good Governance (All MDGs) Theme 2: Agriculture and Food Security (MDG 1, 3) Theme 3: Natural Resources and Disaster Management (MDG 3, 7) Theme 4: Social Protection, Child Protection, Gender Equality and Human Rights (MDG 1, 3) Theme 7: Economic Development and Employment (MDG 1, 3, 8) 10. How does the partnership fit with long term Governments plans? The Government of Sierra Leone in 2013 launched the Agenda for Prosperity (A4P). The document provides strategic direction for the growth and development of the Country. The A4P has 8 pillars and the most relevant ones to this partnership include the following: Pillar 1: Economic Diversification to Promote Inclusive Growth Pillar 2: Managing natural resources, including water, land, fisheries, forests, oil and gas, marine resources and electromagnetic spectrum Pillar 4: International competitiveness in terms of creating the enabling environment for investment in all sectors, including agriculture. Pillar 5: Labour and Employment Pillar 6: Strengthening Social Protection Systems Pillar 7: Governance and Public Sector Reform, particularly 7.1. Capacity Building of State and Non-State Institutions Pillar 8: Gender and women s empowerment in relation to access to factors of production. 11. What processes are in place to ensure a smooth handover from this partnership to longer term action? For the sustainability of this initiative, it is important to ensure that the idea and practice of responsible governance of tenure take root in Sierra Leone. Several processes thus become important for the sustainability of this process: 1) Creation of an inter-ministerial technical task force on the governance of land, fisheries and forests in order to coordinate mandates and activities; 2) Creation of a multi-stakeholder platform and its Steering Committee including the Government of Sierra Leone (representing land, fisheries, and forests and central and 13

14 decentralised government), Civil society Organisations (including the media), NGOs and INGOs (including development partners), traditional leaders, the private sector and representatives of tenure right holders; 3) Introduction of VGGT into academic curriculum of tertiary institutions targeting courses such as law, agriculture, business administration; 4) Support for the adoption of the draft land policy and for the formulation of a new land law, and relevant policies and legislation in the area of land, fisheries and forests to be in line with the VGGT. 5) Harmonization of relevant sections of the legal framework in Sierra Leone with the VGGT and providing required conflict resolution mechanisms. 6) The alignment and relevance of the objectives of this partnership with the Agenda for Prosperity and Priority Themes of the UN Country Team. 14

15 Appendix 1 Workplan Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Delivery of three multi-stakeholder workshops and follow-on support in Sierra Leone X X X Technical Assistance Activity 3.1 X X X X Technical Assistance in Sierra Leone - Legal Framework Assessment: Review of relevant sectoral legislation (land, fisheries and aquaculture, and forestry) in the context of the VGGT Activity 3.2 X X X X X X X X X Technical Assistance in Sierra Leone - Land Administration: Joint development of a strategy and multi-year programme for nationwide implementation of the Draft National Land Policy 2011 (NLP), improving governance of tenure particularly in the area of large-scale investments and of enabling technologies for land administration. 15

16 Activity 3.3 X X X X X X X X X Technical Assistance in Sierra Leone - Fisheries and Aquaculture: Preparation of a capacity development programme based on a baseline assessment of fisheries and aquaculture governance. Activity 3.4 X X X X X X X X X Technical Assistance in Sierra Leone - Forestry: Strengthen tenure related capacity of the Forestry Division and other stakeholders at national and decentralised levels, including implementing forest tenure reform processes; community based forest management and conflict management Activity 3.5 X X X X X X X Technical Assistance in Sierra Leone - Right to Food: Design of a pilot mechanism on accountability and grievance mechanisms in the context of the right to food. 16