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CROP Land Resources Working Group

• Land Resources Working Group Terms of Reference
  • Objectives
  • Form
  • Administrative Arrangements
  • Member Organizations and Focal Points
  • Areas of Involvement
  • Working Group Tasks
  • Meetings

Just about all of the Pacific inter-governmental that are members of the Council for Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP) are in one way or another assisting their Members with provision of advice or implementation of activities associated with the management, sustainable utilization and conservation of land resources. A number of agencies are implementing separate yet very closely related activities aimed at assisting Members better plan and use their land resources. The need for establishing a coordinating mechanism was earlier recognized by Heads of CROP, giving rise to the formation of the Land Resources Working Group (LRWG). Currently a number of CROP agencies are involved in a range of projects that are directly or indirectly linked to Sustainable Land Management in various ways;

During the Sustainable Land Management / UNCCD meeting in Apia in June 2006, sponsored by UNDP's Global Support Unit (GSU) for the SLM Portfolio Project for LDC/SIDS, and with the leadership of SPREP, representatives of some CROP organizations including PIFS, SOPAC, SPREP, SPC and international organizations such as the FAO, UNDP, ESCAP and ADB met and agreed that the LRWG be continued as a collaboration and coordination mechanism for Pacific regional organizations. The meeting also agree that the LRWG be the main support mechanism for the planning and implementation of the GEF-SLM projects in the Pacific.

Following the SLM Workshop which saw the re-establishment of the LRWG, the group has had a series of meetings to revise its Terms of Reference and to begin consultation and planning for the development of project concepts for consideration under the European Development Fund (EDF10) funding for the Pacific. The revised Terms of Reference presented below was approved by the CROP Heads Meeting during July 2007.  

LRWG Members	LRWG Chairman, Mr Aleki Sisifa	LWRG Members

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Land Resources Working Group (LRWG) Terms of Reference

Objectives

The objectives of the Working Group, through the CROP mechanism are to:

• Progressively work towards an integrated approach to land resource management;
• Share information and seek out areas of common interest for collaboration;
• Raise the profile of land resources management and community level activities in it as a development issue to underpin economic growth in PICs.

The working group will assist regional organisations and partners to coordinate efforts and combine skills and resources to assist Pacific Islands Countries and Territories develop and implement strategies, action plans and programmes pertaining to land resources management.

Form

The working group will comprise two units:

• A ‘core’ working group. This group shall pursue the objectives listed above, ensure continuity of the group and shall report to the Heads of CROP agencies as required;
• A broader partnership of other key organisations (including the core group) that, in pursuit of the objectives above, supports information sharing, cooperation, collaboration and provision of general advice on land resources management.

Additionally, and as required, the core group shall establish working groups to look at specific issues, also drawing on non member agency involvement, if necessary.

Administrative Arrangements

The Director of the Land Resources Division of the SPC will Chair the group.

Minutes will be taken by working group members on a rotational basis.

Member Organizations and Focal Points

The membership is open to relevant regional non-governmental organisations and development partners.

Membership of the broader partnership will be open to all interested agencies involved in the sustainable management of land based resources in the Pacific.

Areas of Involvement

The activities of the working group will cover all key land resource based sectors including agriculture, forestry, energy, minerals and water. In working toward its objectives the Working Group is to coordinate as appropriate the activities relevant to the sustainable management of land based resources such as:

• the development of National Action Programmes on land, including under the UNCCD;
• support for national and regional programmes and projects that address land resources;
• governance issues in relation to land resource management; and
• land administration, including land-use planning.

The LRWG shall promote involvement of non-state actors and stakeholders in the consultation processes as well as planning and implementation arrangements.

Working Group Tasks

The LRWG shall:

• Where possible jointly develop their respective land related activities taking into account the cross cutting nature of the issues at hand, their core areas of interest and disciplinary skills and strengths;
• Jointly develop strategies on how best to assist countries to address their land management issues;
• Jointly prepare proposals for regional projects on land management for joint submission to development partners wherever possible;
• Strengthen sharing and organization of information and databases on Land Resources Management;
• Coordinate the planning, implementation and review of initiatives in relation to Land Resource Management as presented in the Pacific Plan Indicative Implementation and Reporting Matrix; and
• Liaise with other CROP working groups as necessary.
• Ensure Land Resources ( LR ) achieve and maintain a high profile in the Pacific Plan and other key strategies, agreements and conventions.
• Where possible, raise public awareness of the importance of LR for the Pacific.

Meetings

The working group shall convene a total of at least three formal meetings per year. These meetings shall be as follows:

• The ‘core’ working group will meet at least twice a year;
• The broader partnership will meet once a year. To this meeting, other parties interested in sustainable management of land based resources (such as aid and government agencies) will be welcome. This meeting will ideally be held back to back with a relevant CROP Heads meeting (similar to the SOPAC/STAR arrangement) to maximise relevant attendance at a minimum cost.

Additionally, ad hoc meetings shall be arranged, as needed, to accommodate urgent or important issues that arise out of session. In particular, any CROP-specific issues will be accommodated through separate side meetings of CROP members of the LRWG, as the need arises.

Attendance at all meetings will occur on a self funded basis.