A High-level Consultation Workshop on the Recognition of Land Use Rights in Forestland in Lao PDR was held here on September 4-5, to discuss approaches to enhance and accelerate the implementation of customary and forestland tenure recognition in Lao PDR in the context of the latest sub-legislation and the newly adopted ASEAN Guidelines on Recognition of Customary Tenure in Forested Landscapes. A High-level Consultation Workshop on the Recognition of Land Use Rights in Forestland in Lao PDR was held here on September 4-5, to discuss approaches to enhance and accelerate the implementation of customary and forestland tenure recognition in Lao PDR in the context of the latest sub-legislation and the newly adopted ASEAN Guidelines on Recognition of Customary Tenure in Forested Landscapes.
A two-day workshop was held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) under sponsership of GIZ (The Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), MRLG (The Mekong Region Land Governance Project), the World Bank, and PROGREEN.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Mr Saynakhone Inthavong remarked on opening the workshop: the first day focused on the implementation experiences, valuable lessons-learnt, as well as challenges in Xayaboury, Houaphanh, and Khammouane shared by the governmental actors from Department of Land (DoL-MoNRE), Department of Forestry (DoF-MAF), and development partners from various projects: Enhanced Land Tenure Security Program (GIZ), Enhanced Systematic Land Registration Project (World Bank, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, PROGREEN), and MRLG. The key takeaways re-examined how informal tenure recognition can bridge the gap to tenure formalization, especially within the area inside state forests where challenges from unclarities and inconsistencies in the laws to practical implementation were addressed.
The second day focused on mutual learning and enhancing awareness and understanding of new sub-legislation and guiding documents including the ASEAN Guidelines on Recognition of Customary Tenure in Forested Landscapes for local governmental officials and practitioners to deliver more effective engagement with local communities on customary land and resources. There was also a half-day field visit to the site of Burapha Agroforestry Co.
The result of the workshop highlighted the milestone and achievements surrounding tenure security especially in areas of forestland and natural resources Lao PDR while also identified the improvements required within the legal framework surrounding customary tenure recognition and formalisation of tenure in forestland, and furthermore, reemphasised remaining challenges which required immediate actions with clear and unanimous understanding from all practitioners.
Source: Lao News Agency