DECENTRALISATION

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DECENTRALISATION

• An enabling policy for local land issues
• Hubert M. G. OUEDRAOGO
• LandNet West Africa

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Introduction

• Active decentralisation processes in WA
• Senegal (1972 law on rural communes, law on
  regions)
  
• Mali (January 1995 Code)
• Niger (7 laws, 2001- 2002)
• Burkina (Code revised, December, 2004)
• Francophone process mainly!

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Introduction

• Why decentralisation expended in WA
• Conditionality by donors since the 90s
  (democratisation, liberalisation,
  decentralisation)
  
• Specific situations in countries (Mali, popular
  movement, question of Touareg conflict)
  
• Democratisation, Emergence of CSOs
• Process less strong in Anglophone WA

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Introduction

• What is decentralisation ?
• A strongly political issue Reform of the State
  (power and decision making territorial
  organisation)
  
• A development issue
• State alone cant face successfully development
  challenges
  
• Participation of all stakeholders in development

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Introduction

• Questions
• Can D. improve land access and land security for
  the poor?
  
• What are the main risks and constraints of D?
• How can D. work?

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I- Decentralisation can help improve land rights
for the poor

• West African countries have experienced
  unsuccessful centralised development ( 40
  years)
  
• State land and NR monopoly
• Centralised Land management institutions
• D. favours participation of the poor in decision
  making on land
  
• Decentralisation is generally linked to democracy
  
  
• Devolution of power and resources (local land
  domains)
  
• Better participation opportunities for CBOs and
  CSOs
  

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I- Decentralisation can help improve land rights
for the poor

• D. can help promote more effective land laws
  through legal pluralism
  
• local rules
• local conventions
• Validation of local rules and conventions
• Alternative land dispute resolution
• Prevention of land conflicts (agric vs. pastor)
• Traditional chiefs institutions, local
  commissions
  

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II- Risks and constraints of D.

• The lack of competencies and resources at local
  level
  
• Most people are not educated in rural areas
• Issue of language (official/ local)
• Lack of resources
• Most rural areas are poor
• Potential conflict general interest/ local
  interest in NRM
  

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II- Risks and constraints of D

• The issue of local governance
• Transfer of corruption practices
• The issue of autochthony vs. citizenship
  (pastoralists, migrants)
  
• The institutional confusion at local level
• Overlapping of local institutions
• Issue of traditional chiefs
• Examples from Burkina and Niger

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III- How to make it work?

• Appropriate territorial organisation
• Levels of decentralisation
• proximity
• Effective resource mobilisation
• Concomitant transfer of competencies and
  resources
  
• Raising resources at local level (NRM?)

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III- How to make it work?

• Building on ongoing local processes
• Local Institutions/ local development
• Complementing D. with local participation
• Assisting D. with deconcentration
• Promoting local governance

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Conclusion

• D. is an opportunity for secure land rights,
  development and dignity for the poor.
  
• The D. process is complex, and has potential
  risks need to anticipate and address such
  risks
  
• Successful decentralisation needs the
  participation of CBOs and CSOs
  
• Decentralisation is not promoted against state
  it has to be implemented with the cooperation of
  state