As part of efforts in preventing potential amendments to the 2018 Land Rights Act (LRA) by certain government agencies and ministries that could undermine community land rights, the Civil Society Working Group (CSOWG) on Land Reform, in collaboration with the MAP Liberia Land Platform, has successfully validated an advocacy policy paper.
Based on this, the Working Group on February 20, 2026, agreed to do direct engagement with the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) Board of Commissioners (BOCs) and designed strategies to decentralize the document to community levels.
Some of the strategies include: legal literacy by carrying out awareness to educate stakeholders on the LRA; mapping and documentation by ensuring community lands are accurately recorded; and holding high-Level dialogue by engaging the executive and legislative branches directly.
Others include: Showcasing the positive impacts of the LRA to build public support; conducting specialized training by building the technical capacity of CSOs and other relevant stakeholders for LRA enforcement; and maintaining a consistent flow of advocacy updates, among others.
This important step reinforces civil society’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the Land Rights Act.
The validation of the CSO advocacy paper brought about 30 CSOs, national and international stakeholders in the land and natural resource sector, including the Liberia Land Authority, to review, input, and finalize the paper.
During the meeting, members of the CSOWG and partners reaffirmed their dedication to promoting accountable land governance and called on all relevant authorities to uphold the spirit and provisions of the Land Rights Act in the interest of the Liberian people.
The paper was developed by a consultancy firm with support from the International Land Coalition and co-convened by the Sustainable Development Institute Land Program and the Rights and Rice Foundation.