Press Release
Course Highlights the Importance of Secure Property Rights
Kigali, Rwanda│December 2-7, 2007
Rwanda’s Ministry of Lands, Environment, Forestry, Water and Mines (MINITERE) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) organized a one-week course on the best practices in land rights for government policymakers working on land issues. The course will improve the participants’ ability to contribute to the development of secure property rights in order to enable economic growth and preserve biodiversity.
Government officials and decision-makers from six East and Central African countries – Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda – will join their counterparts from the Government of Rwanda to discuss and learn about property rights, the gender dimension of land issues, mitigating conflict over land and protecting natural resources. The course will build the capacity of participating governments to introduce improved land rights policies.
“Developing secure property rights is essential for economic development,” explained USAID/Rwanda’s Acting Director, George E. Lewis. “The Government of Rwanda has set ambitious but achievable goals to transform the economy and agricultural sector in the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). Land registration and secure land tenure will not only encourage more efficient use of Rwanda’s land, but also spur agricultural development and economic growth.”
USAID has been working hand-in-hand with the Government of Rwanda to ensure women’s access to legally protected land rights, diminish land-related disputes and develop the agricultural sector.
The course, entitled “Best Practices for Land Tenure and Natural Resource Governance in East and Central Africa,” runs from December 2-7, 2007 at the Novotel in Kigali.
