Some policy experts and stakeholders have called for policy cohesion across Africa for the successful implementation of multilateral policy decisions.
They spoke on Wednesday during one of the plenaries at the 2023 Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA), held in Addis Ababa.
The CLPA, fifth in the series, is organized by a tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The 2023 edition has the theme, ‘Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation’.
Dr. Medhat El-Helepi (ECA) chaired the plenary with the sub-theme ‘Land Governance, Regional Integration and Intra-Africa Trade: Opportunities and Challenges’.
Panelists at the plenary included the Director, Regional Integration and Trade, ECA; Dr. Stephen Karingi; and the Head of Capacity Building and Technical Assistance, AfCFTA Secretariat,Mr. Tsotetsi Makong.
Others were the CEO of the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI), Mr. Kebur Ghenna and the Director of Community Land Protection at Namati, Kenya, Ms. Eileen Wakesho.
The event also attracted various stakeholders, including traditional leaders, civil society organizations, and policy decision-makers.
Makong expressed worries over the reluctance of some participants to openly discuss some matters, pleading ‘no go areas of domestic affairs’.
He, however, noted that the issues of land were within the limits of domestic regulations, adding that tenure land security was the solution that would allow intra-African investment, which is still low in Africa.
Makong pointed out that the success of the investment protocol under the AfCFTA would depend on countries’ domestic laws, which should be in line with the AfCFTA.
“There are guidelines on land reforms that need to be turned into regulations within the domestic systems.
“Policy coherence has to be at the heart of what we do. This can be achieved by engaging everyone including women and youth at the grassroots level.
“Also, you cannot be talking of AfCFTA as it is just about Ministers of Trade, Economy or Investment. The idea is the totality of the entire governance structure. This is very important,” he said.
Speakers also noted that inclusive land governance was one of the key pillars to enhancing Africa’s drive to improve intra-African trade, food security, and sustainable food systems.
They said an inclusive governance system would allow stakeholders to create transparency, subsidiarity, inclusiveness, prior informed participation and social acceptance by affected communities in land-based initiatives beyond their borders.
