Chapter 5 Learning from the international land reform experience

3 Country reviews 3.5 Mozambique 3.5.8 External support: Donor agencies

The government of the United Kingdom, through its Department for International Development, has been exploring the potential of a programme on the implementation of the Land Law which would provide support to communities to pilot ways to develop the land delimitation process into an active and democratic one that delivers livelihood benefits. DFID commissioned an appraisal of the challenges that would face such a programme, completed in 2003, and allocated further financing in 2004 in order to move towards a detailed design phase. Other donor groups, including the Dutch, Swiss and Swedish development assistance agencies have expressed an interest in providing joint support, and a co-ordinating committee between these donor groups has been established to oversee the design phase. Terms of reference for this design phase are being developed. Various other entities from the international and national NGO sectors, the private sector and local government institutions might be brought in to participate in such a programme, with a focus on developing the right kind of institutional environment for the provision of support to land-holding communities so that they can realise tangible benefits from their newly acquired capital.