ACCELERATION OF YOUTH LAND RIGHTS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CIGOFA4 CONFERENCE.

From October 20-24 in 2024,the Arusha City of Tanzania played host to the fourth International Youth and Land Governance Conference (CIGOFA4) organized by YILAA with a theme ‘’Acceleration of Youth Land Rights’’. KINNAPA had two representatives who contributed valuable insights on the topic of “Advancing Youth Land Rights in Africa with a special focus on indigenous women and youth. Helping Young People Build a Better Future. ”The Conference was built on 6 panels with ample space to discussions.

The Global Dialogue. CIGOFA4 aimed to foster meaningful dialogue on the various dimensions of youth participation in land governance, emphasizing policy advocacy, grassroots activism and the integration of indigenous knowledge and technological innovations. The overarching goal was to empower youth for sustainable futures while navigating the complexities of land governance, climate justice, urbanization and food security as critical components in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Key Areas and Discussion: The conference agenda was ambitious while addressing several critical topics including

1. Exploring Traditional Authorities.

One of the primary discussions centered on the role of traditional authorities in enabling youth/women land access and tenure rights. This conversation highlighted the needs for having Intergenerational dialogue /conversation and ensuring that these crucial demographics are included in decision-making processes.

2. Statutory frameworks. The conference also created a room to check for the existed frameworks from AU to the National Level on the Youth and women engagement in Land governance by identifying existing opportunities provided by Legal and policy framework and strategies implemented by the Government for their Access to Land, Achievements, remaining challenges and how these frameworkscan be improved so as could serve to accelerate rights to Land for youth and women, ensuring their voices are heard.

3. How to address youth challenges through Land access acceleration.

4.The youth perspective; Land needs and Capacity.

5. Youth perspective: The experience from national contexts.

6. The role of Global Partners.

Achievements and Recommendations

TOne of the conference's significant Achievements was the collective development of recommendations endorsed by all participants. These recommendations aim to

Achievements of the conference.

Emphasize strengthening youth and women the engagement in land governance policies and practices, ensuring their voices contribute meaningfully to decisions and discussions.

Promote education and awareness programs focused on raise awareness about land rights among young people and women, empowering them to advocate for their entitlements land rights and educate them on the potential of Land to be the backbone of their Economy

Foster stronger collaboration between various Authorities and Organizations to enhance access to land and resources..

Conclusion

The discussions and insights shared at CIGOFA4 reaffirmed the critical role Key stakeholders and youth themselves in creating an enabling environment for shaping the future of young people’s land governance. The representatives left the conference inspired and motivated to implement the recommendations discussed, demonstrating their commitment to advancing youth land rights.

PAs we move forward, the collective efforts initiated at CIGOFA4 stand as a powerful reminder of the potential that lies in empowering youth and demonstrated the power of collective action in driving meaningful change.