The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Sierra Leone on Wednesday hosted an inception meeting to provide updates on the commencement of the State Peace Fund (SPF) Project, a complementary initiative to the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project.
The meeting took place at the FAO Representation office on Spur Road, Freetown.
Wuyango Bockarie Harding, Assistant FAO Representative for Programs, highlighted the ongoing fragility risks in Sierra Leone arising from unresolved land disputes, weak statutory and customary tenure systems, and persistent gender inequalities.
He noted that land conflicts account for over 60% of High Court cases and remain a key driver of insecurity. “Despite recent reforms, including the National Land Policy (2015), the Customary Land Rights Act (2022), and the National Land Commission Act (2022), implementation capacity at both local and national levels remains limited.
Women, youth, and marginalised groups continue to face significant barriers in accessing and securing land rights,” Harding said, emphasizing the necessity of the SPF Project.
National Project Coordinator Sahr Paul Beinya explained that the meeting aimed to provide a comprehensive update on the inception and early progress of the SPF/UTF/SIL Project, titled Piloting Innovative Solutions for Land Dispute Resolution in Sierra Leone.
The session reviewed the status of technical assistance provided by FAO on behalf of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning (MLHCP), addressed emerging concerns, and agreed on next steps to ensure effective project delivery in line with World Bank requirements.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, FAO project coordination and technical teams, the World Bank Project Task Force, the National Land Commission (NLC), and civil society organisations engaged in land governance and community representation.
Key discussions focused on:
Progress made on project activities, including initial mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building initiatives.
Alignment of the project’s technical assistance with the Government’s land reform agenda, particularly the implementation of new land laws.
Concerns over project timelines, coordination mechanisms, and the need for accelerated delivery of agreed outputs.
Ensuring inclusivity, with special attention to women, youth, and other vulnerable groups.
Strategies to strengthen collaboration between FAO, MLHCP, NLC, CSOs, and the World Bank Task Force to maximise impact and sustainability.
The inception meeting underscored the collaborative approach of the SPF Project in addressing land disputes, enhancing governance, and promoting equitable access to land in Sierra Leone.
