Colombia Land and Rural Development Program: Quarterly Report (October–December 2016)

The program remains committed to preparing Colombia for peace by supporting the government's post-conflict goals, particularly in rural areas. LRDP's objectives focus on strengthening land rights and the restitution of land for families in post-conflict regions, facilitating sustainable livelihoods. A new peace agreement was signed between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on November 24, 2016. The agreement was the result of intense negotiations and included initiatives promoted by the political opposition. The GOC's Congress countersigned the agreement on December 1, and implementation commenced, surrounded by political controversies and operational complications. LRDP's efforts to support the GOC in its post-conflict goals include helping the Land Restitution Unit (LRU) prepare its Inter-Institutional Strategic Plan. This plan provides a roadmap for the GOC to solve the large number of pending land restitution claims between 2016 and 2021. The plan recommends adapting the restitution policy to areas home to illicit crops. LRDP also completed evidentiary material for ethnic restitution cases in Cesar and Meta on behalf of indigenous Yupka and Sikuani communities. In addition, LRDP finalized the design of the municipal formalization plan for Santander de Quilichao (Cauca), which provides a formalization roadmap for 33,000 land parcels. This plan is consistent with the area's ethnic and geographical diversity. LRDP's solid relationship with the mayor and his conviction of the importance of inter-institutional collaboration facilitated the successful completion of this project. The GOC must engage in an innovative and effective illicit crop reduction policy to successfully implement the peace accords. LRDP will provide the National Land Agency with recommendations for adjusting the massive formalization methodology to contemplate the presence of illicit crops. This is critical to the success of an innovative approach to illicit crop substitution. LRDP's work in the October-December 2016 quarter contributes to the program's overall objectives and supports the GOC in its post-conflict goals. The program's efforts to strengthen land rights and the restitution of land for families in post-conflict regions will facilitate sustainable livelihoods and enhance Colombia's capacity to mobilize resources to remote regions that have been neglected for decades. The LRDP's work in the quarter also highlights the importance of a territorial approach to peace building and rural development. This approach includes strong community participation, which is being supported by the program through the design of the PDET model. The GOC must engage in this approach to successfully implement the peace accords and address the challenges of rural development in post-conflict regions. LRDP's efforts to support the GOC in its post-conflict goals are critical to the success of the peace accords. The program's work in the October-December 2016 quarter demonstrates its commitment to preparing Colombia for peace and supporting the GOC in its efforts to address the challenges of rural development in post-conflict regions.