14 March, Nairobi, Kenya - International Land Coalition Africa (ILC Africa) and The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), an intergovernmental organization that currently has 20 contracting member states in the Eastern and Southern Africa regions, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the production and use of people-centred data for transparency and accountability and to establish sustainable land use tools and practices. The signing ceremony was attended by Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza-Director General, RCMRD, Dr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza, Paul Idude, Director, Corporate Services, RCMRD, Audace Kubwimana, Regional Coordinator, ILC Africa, and Jane Njeri, Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Officer, ILC Africa among others.
The collaboration between ILC Africa and RCMRD will focus on joint programming and fundraising for thematic areas of common interest, with a strong emphasis on data.
Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza-Director General, RCMRD, Audace Kubwimana, Regional Coordinator ILC Africa after signing the MOU
This partnership is a significant milestone in our efforts to promote people-centred data for transparency and accountability. We believe that this collaboration will contribute significantly to the development of sustainable land use tools and applications, which will benefit communities across Africa
"This partnership is a significant milestone in our efforts to promote people-centred data for transparency and accountability. We believe that this collaboration will contribute significantly to the development of sustainable land use tools and applications, which will benefit communities across Africa," said Audace Kubwimana, Regional Coordinator, ILC Africa.
ILC Africa and RCMRD will provide technical assistance to member countries and peoples' organisations at the grassroots level in areas such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), surveying and land mapping, and other existing data tools such as ILC-supported data and monitoring initiatives such as LandMark, LANDex, Land Matrix, and Prindex, to inform decision-making processes and the formulation of land laws and policy reforms.
In addition, the collaboration aims to strengthen young people’s capacity on how to develop and use land data and land administration, and digital land management information systems.
We are excited about this partnership and the opportunities it presents for us to work together to promote sustainable land use practices, strengthen transparency and accountability, and empower youth to contribute to the development of their communities
"We are excited about this partnership and the opportunities it presents for us to work together to promote sustainable land use practices, strengthen transparency and accountability, and empower youth to contribute to the development of their communities," said Dr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza, Director General of RCMRD.
Stakeholders from RCMRD and ILC Africa during the MoU signing
The collaboration marks a key turning point in the advancement of people-centred data for openness and accountability. We look forward to a fruitful partnership.
About ILC Africa
ILC Africa is a network bringing together 95 member organizations from 28 African countries. It is a regional platform of the International Land Coalition, a global alliance of civil society and intergovernmental organizations working together to put people at the center of land governance. The shared goal of ILC's over 300 members is to realize land governance for and with people at the country, regional and international levels responding to the needs and protecting the rights of women, men, and communities who live on and from the land.
About Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development
Established in 1975, RCMRD is a premier center of excellence in the provision of geo-information and allied information communication applications. As part of its mandate, RCMRD, through its programme on early warning, offers capacity building, research, development, and innovation services utilizing space technology for disaster risk reduction, disaster management, and emergency response.
RCMRD is among the eight successful institutions selected by the African Union Commission (AUC) to serve as Regional Implementing Centers for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa (GMES and Africa) Support Programme. RCMRD hosts the Regional Resource Hub a knowledge hub for protected areas that is supported by The Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA). RCMRD also hosts Forest Observatory for Eastern and Southern Africa (OFESA) that provides a platform for sharing, exchanging, and accessing data and information related to East and Southern Africa’s forests.