Colombia Land and Rural Development Program: Quarterly Report (April – June 2018)

The program's quarterly report for April-June 2018 highlights several key advances and challenges faced during this period. The LRDP has been working closely with the Colombian government to develop the Land Node, an electronic platform that facilitates access to information for the land restitution process. The platform currently allows the Land Restitution Unit (LRU) to access 44 types of information from 11 different entities, resulting in an average of 13,000 information transactions each week. This represents a significant improvement in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and security. In addition to the Land Node, the LRDP has completed the digitization of property registration files and cadastral files for the Superintendence of Notary and Registry (SNR) and the Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC). This effort has resulted in the digitization of 5.4 million paper-based files, including 2.9 million cadastral files. The digitization of these files will support faster restitution and formalization processes, as well as help the government comply with the first point of the peace accords. The LRDP has also been working to support the completion of goals and the handover process for the incoming administration. The program has expressed its interest in contributing to the handover process and providing input and observations to current and incoming teams to ensure the sustainability of results attained during the program. The LRDP has been monitoring the situation regarding the assassinations of social leaders in key post-conflict regions. The program has expressed its concern about the impact of these events on the conditions for stable and lasting peace in Colombia. The LRDP continues to support its GOC counterparts in the completion of their goals and the appropriation of its methodologies to improve efficiency and the impact of land and rural development policies. The LRDP's quarterly report highlights the importance of continued support for land restitution and formalization efforts in Colombia. The program's initiatives have made significant progress in improving efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and security in the land restitution process. However, the LRDP also recognizes the challenges faced by the country, including the assassinations of social leaders and the need for continued support for the handover process. The LRDP's efforts to support the Colombian government's land restitution and formalization efforts are critical to the country's peace process. The program's initiatives have the potential to improve the lives of millions of Colombians and contribute to the country's long-term development.