ALIGN: Advancing Land-based Investment Governance

CCSI, IIED, and Namati are partnering on a new initiative to support governments, civil society, local communities, and private sector actors in improving the governance and practices of land-based investments.

Recognizing that more and better private sector investment is widely seen as critical to advancing economic development and achieving the SDGs in low- and middle-income countries, this initiative responds to concerns that land-based investments have resulted in land dispossession, environmental degradation, and conflict.

The Advancing Land-based Investment Governance (ALIGN) project involves:

·   Sustained, in-depth work in three sub-Saharan African countries, including Sierra Leone, to support policy development and implementation, legal empowerment, and dialogue between actors, both at the national level and in selected sites

·  Technical support to governments, civil society, local communities, and other relevant actors, for example through training and support regarding policy development and implementation, legal empowerment, and dialogue between actors

·   Enhancing understanding and improving practices among key actors, globally and in specific targeted contexts, through developing and disseminating innovative responses to key challenges.

In the first few months of the project, priority is being given to monitoring, responding to, and anticipating developments occurring in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Further partner organizations will also be identified during project implementation.

ALIGN is funded by UK Aid from the UK Government.