By: Alhaji A. Barrie
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has officially launched the State Peace Fund (SPF) Project, a strategic initiative aimed at resolving land disputes and promoting inclusive land governance in Sierra Leone.
The inception meeting, held on Thursday, October 2nd at FAO’s Representation on Spur Road, brought together key stakeholders from government ministries, civil society organisations, and international partners. The session marked the beginning of coordinated efforts to pilot innovative solutions for land dispute resolution under the SPF/UTF/SIL Project, which complements the ongoing Sierra Leone Land Administration Project.
Wuyango Bockarie Harding, Assistant FAO Representative for Programs, highlighted the urgency of the initiative, noting that unresolved land disputes, weak tenure systems, and persistent gender inequality continue to pose significant risks to national stability. “Land conflicts account for more than 60% of High Court cases and remain a driver of insecurity,” he said.
Despite the adoption of progressive legal frameworks—including the National Land Policy (2015), Customary Land Rights Act (2022), and National Land Commission Act (2022)—implementation capacity remains limited, particularly at the local level. Women, youth, and marginalized groups continue to face barriers in accessing and securing land rights.
Sahr Paul Beinya, National Project Coordinator, stated that the meeting aimed to review the status of FAO’s technical assistance, address emerging concerns, and agree on next steps for effective delivery in line with World Bank requirements. The SPF Project is implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning (MLHCP), with financial support from the World Bank.
The meeting was attended by representatives from MLHCP, FAO’s technical team, the World Bank Project Task Force, the National Land Commission (NLC), and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) engaged in land governance and community-level representation.
Discussions focused on:
– Progress made on project activities, including initial mobilisation
– Stakeholder engagement and capacity-building initiatives
– Alignment of technical assistance with new land laws
– Timelines, coordination mechanisms, and delivery of agreed outputs
– Inclusion of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in project implementation
– Strengthening collaboration among FAO, MLHCP, NLC, CSOs, and the World Bank
The SPF Project represents a critical step toward building peace and equity through land reform. With FAO’s leadership, the initiative is poised to deliver lasting impact for communities across Sierra Leone.
