A new strategy is born in the Caribbean region that will be immersed in the challenge of improving the quality of life of people affected by the inequality of land rights in a geographically and socially complex region made up of small island states and continental countries.
It will be promoted by the Caribbean Platform of Land Actors (CPLA), which in turn is made up of five national platforms/strategies in Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia and Grenada with the support of the ILC LAC.
Land issues in the Caribbean region have their roots in the colonial past. After independence, inequality in access to land has been perpetuated due to the economic development strategies of the States that maintain the plantation structure of that period, as well as the promotion of large-scale industrial investment projects and enclave tourism.
In view of this situation, "the new strategy seeks to improve laws and policies on land issues, with special emphasis on family agriculture, the guarantee of land tenure rights, security of land rights for indigenous peoples and locally managed ecosystems, among others," explains Perry Polar, head of communications for the Caribbean Platform.
Improvements in land administration in favour of the most disadvantaged populations have been hampered by weak public policies and legislation, compounded in many cases by limited and disorganised civil society actors and a shortage of technically trained people.
On the other hand, one of the challenges faced by the strategy is related to the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOS) in issues related to land governance. "Many professionals with technical expertise may not choose to participate in CSOS for fear of being labeled as part of the political opposition, which can result in lost opportunities," explains Perry Polar. "The Platform will try to provide the technical resources necessary to support the actions of the platforms in each country," he said.
ARTICULATING THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL
Since the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has many states that are generally small in size and varied in resources and economic development, the strategy will operate at the regional and national levels.
The new Caribbean Platform of Land Actors -coordinated by CNULM blueSpace Caribbean, a network that is part of the ILC LAC- is made up of five national platforms: Trinidad and Tobago (also lead by CNULM), Belize (lead by Belize Association of Planners), Saint Lucia (lead by Saint Lucia Institute of Land Use Planners), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (lead by Windward Islands Farmers Association - SVG), and Grenada (lead by Grenada land actor).
The scope of work of this Caribbean Platform is the 15 members of the CARICOM, although its influence will be bigger in countries where national platforms exist. In addition, this platform will collaborate with regional and multilateral organizations to contribute to the harmonization of regional land policy. It will also articulate with different initiatives promoted by ILC in LAC (such as LANDex, Land Matrix and Land and ODS)