The 1999 Land Act and the Village Land Act: a technical analysis of the practical implications of the Acts
February 2005
Geir Sundet
Contains background to the Acts; the Land Act – concentration of powers in the Ministry, the provisions for a market in land, women’s rights to land, conflict resolution; the Village Land Act – definition and registration of village land, registration and adjudication of customary rights, women’s rights, conflict resolution, the enabling legislation; if not this, then what?; what next? Concludes that the Land Acts are the logical outcome of a deeply flawed policy which rely on administrative procedures rather than market forces and make highly unrealistic assumptions of administrative capacities.