Addis Ababa, November 14, 2025 (FMC) — The Sixth African Land Policy Conference (CLPA2025) concluded Thursday at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, issuing a continent-wide call for governments, traditional authorities, development partners, civil society, and researchers to implement reforms addressing land governance, justice, and reparations for Africans and descendants of the African diaspora.
Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the four-day hybrid conference emphasized that colonial-era land dispossession continues to undermine equitable access, food security, livelihoods, and indigenous knowledge systems across Africa.
The summit’s “Call to Action” urged governments to adopt national frameworks that integrate restitution and reparations, establish dedicated funds, formally recognize customary tenure systems, enhance transparency, leverage technology for land administration, and engage diaspora communities and research institutions in policymaking. Governments were also urged to address peri-urban land challenges and ensure multi-stakeholder participation in decision-making.
Traditional authorities were called upon to strengthen transparency in local land governance, actively include women and youth in decision-making, support community-based economic projects, collaborate with academia and diaspora networks, and build capacity for professional land management.
Technical and development partners were encouraged to coordinate interventions, provide joint funding, establish multi-stakeholder mechanisms, support research and data collection, and respond effectively to land-related crises.
Civil society and non-state actors were tasked with advocating for land rights, promoting African data sovereignty on land, advancing women’s land rights, providing legal aid for displaced communities, supporting justice-driven domestic investments, and participating in global campaigns on land reparations and governance.
Academic and research institutions were urged to develop evidence-based solutions, train youth, generate actionable research, disseminate knowledge for policy implementation, and engage in continuous dialogue with governments and communities to advance sustainable land management practices.
The conference also highlighted cross-cutting themes, including gender equity, youth inclusion, climate resilience, agricultural sustainability, food security, and the protection of African indigenous knowledge systems. Organizers stressed that the outcomes would feed into national, regional, and global policymaking, reinforcing Africa’s voice in international governance on land justice and reparations.
Observers described CLPA2025 as a landmark event that may transform land governance across the continent, shifting discussions from historical rhetoric toward measurable actions, reparative policies, and institutional reforms.