Network platform and policy engagement

General

The LIWG advocacy strategy consists of the following key elements: 1. Promoting dialogue on land issues between its members (especially bridging the Lao-English culture and language divide) 2. Promoting INGO#s support for NPA#s working on land issues as a new part of civil society 3. Influencing GoL policies and legislation, mainly through the National Assembly, NLMA and MAF 4. Raising awareness on land issues among development partners 5. Raising awareness among private sector and foreign investorsto adopt principles of socially and environmentally responsible investment 6. Liaising and cooperating with other civil society groups in international advocacy campaigns LIWG programme 2014-2015 comprises of five key themes and 22 outcomes: 1. Awareness raising, training and capacity development: Local and international civil society organizations, Development Partners, and private sector are supported so that they are more willing and better able to enhance gender equitable community control over land, forests, and natural resources. Targeting Lao civil society (NPAs): Outcome 1: Lao civil society to have an enhanced capacity to regain and create space in which to engageon land related matters with the Lao Government, especially MoNRE and MAF,and other decision-making bodies like the National Assembly. Outcome 2: Lao civil society to be increasingly considered an essential partner in reaching national development goals, and to be on a more consistent basis included in decision-making foraand platforms relevant to land. Targeting Development Partners and non-member INGOs: Outcome 3: Increased capacity within INGOs and Development Partners # also in view of the rapid staff turnover within agencies # to understand the key land issues inLaos in order to better address them. Outcome 4: Land issues are mainstreamed and incorporated into DP strategies, and they are in a better position to enhance community control over land, forests, and natural resources, adapting social and environmentalguidelines, as well as promoting gender equity in relation to land. Targeting private sector: Outcome 5: Increased awareness of social and environmental guidelines within companies, following the international and national law and the principles of corporate social responsibility. 2. Coordination, networking and promoting dialogue: Collaboration and engagement of different stakeholders, both national and international, is promoted to enhance dialogue and sharing of information in view of increasingleverage of activities towards enhanced gender equitable community control over land, forests, and natural resources. a. National level activities: Outcome 6: Strengthened dialogue and cooperation among national stakeholders and wider space and platforms available to exchange information. Outcome 7: Deeper understanding of selected priority land related themes within LIWG members and other relevant agencies. Outcome 8: Development Partners increasingly support the objectives and work of the LIWGand deliver key messages to other stakeholders. LIWG has strengthened its position vis-à-vis DPs as a relevant actor on land related mattersin Lao PDR. b. Regional and international level activities: Outcome 9: Increased leverage of Lao-based civilsociety organizations#work in terms of promoting greater community control over land, forests, and natural resources. Outcome 10: Higher pressure for transparency and rule of law, and adoption of social and environmental guidelines and the principlesofCSR among foreign investors active in the Lao PDR. 3. Government Policy Support: Government policies and legislation concerning land, with a focus on implementation and rule of law, protect the long term interests of people of Laos by enhancing local communities# gender equitable control over land, forests and natural resources. a. Dialogue on land issues with the National Assembly (NA): Outcome 11: Land and forest tenure of rural communities and equitable sharing of benefits from land-related investments are increased. Outcome 12: Decision-making processes at the NA are strengthened by targeted information on current land related issues. Outcome 13: NA has increased capacity in handling land related petitions. b. Dialogue on landissues with the Lao Government: Outcome 14: Decision-making processes within the Lao Government are strengthened by targeted information on current land related issues. Outcome 15: LSSWG becomes an important platform of dialogue, feeding into the policy discussion in the SWG-NRE and the annual RTM process. Outcome 16: Civil society has increased opportunities to take part in decision making platforms related to land currently influenced by the Government, private sector and the DPs. c. Paralegal and legalapproaches: Outcome 17: Increasing number of land disputes is investigated through strengthened existing land grievance mechanisms and the establishment of new ones where necessary. d. Cooperation with the Lao media Outcome 18: Lao public becomes increasingly aware of main land issues in Laos. Outcome 19: Increased awareness of CSO contributions to national development goals, in particular in relation to land. 4. Research and documentation: Increased wealth of in-depth informationon specific cross-cutting issues is widely available to enhance and support the work in enhancing local communities# gender equitable control over land, forests and natural resources. Outcome 20: Higher understanding of local level processes in relationtoland,and increased flow of information from the local level to the central level. 5. Sustainability of LIWG activities: Outcome 21: LIWG ensures its status as an important stakeholder around land issues in Laos, and cooperation with other keystakeholders,inparticular Government, NA, and DPs, is enhanced. Outcome 22: Sustainability of LIWG work is ensured over long term either through an independentSecretariat or as part of other arrangements. Most suitable modes of working are identified accordingtothecontext in 2015.