19 October 2017
GICHD and The Housing Land and Property & Mine Action Areas of Responsibility(AoR) within the Global Protection Cluster, have collaborated to address land rights issues, the involvement of humanitarian operations and linkages between mine action and housing, land & property specialists.
In the video below, they provide key messages to highlight the role of mine action organisations in addressing land rights issues as part of their response to humanitarian emergencies and support to sustainable developments.
Pascal Rapillard, Head of External Relations and Policy at GICHD, emphasizes the importance in having clarity on land rights and ownership before undertaking clearance operations.
“It is beyond the mine action organisations to fix land problems, however there are actions to be taken to do no harm and respond to the land issues they encounter,” Rapillard said.
Steps mine action organizations should take:
- Liaise with humanitarian and development organisations dealing with land issues & to take into account land rights when setting priorities
- Avoid clearing land that is disputed
- Raise awareness about land rights with affected communities and involve them in identifying clearance priorities
- Ensure a formal land handover process
Shobha Rao, Housing, Land and Property AoR Coordinator, said land is fundamental to peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.
"Mine action actors are prioritizing land across their various operations and taking leadership on the issue of land rights," said Rao.
“Mine action by definition is humanitarian and we should always ask ourselves if the land is given back to the intended beneficiaries and those most in need,” said Rapillard.