Promoting peace with an optimized cadastre

Context

Access to land and the way it is distributed have been a cause of violent conflicts in Colombia for over 50 years. The 2016 peace agreement between the Government and the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) includes plans for comprehensive land reform. An important element here is the introduction of cadastres, i.e. a description and register of areas of land in the most conflict-prone regions. The cadastres are intended to serve multiple purposes – not just levying taxes, but also shaping public policy, for example. A key part of the process is ensuring that the various social groups are involved in implementing the multi-purpose cadastres. However, low levels of trust in state institutions and a social structure which has been wrecked by violence are a major challenge.

Objective

Non-governmental and governmental actors are able to contribute to peace in Colombia by engaging with the multi-purpose cadastres.

Approach

The project provides methodological advisory services to support institutional cooperation at national and local level. The aim is to use newly collected and updated cadastral data to reach decisions and formulate public policy.

The project also offers training to expand the expertise of ethnic and farming communities and enable them to get involved in implementing the cadastres.

At the same time, it enhances the competencies of government agencies and civil society so that they can take a participatory and cooperative approach to developing the multi-purpose cadastres, thereby ensuring that the cadastres contribute to peace.

The project works closely with the World Bank to make sure that the methods, findings and best practices generated as part of the cadastre process can be transferred to other communities, which benefit from loans.

Last update: September 2024