Briefing Note Pakistan Land Rights - Oxfam Blogs

The WB and ADB should:support the government of Pakistan in incorporating landissues and addressing land inequality in recovery andreconstruction plans by providing both financial and technicalresources;;modify their own policies and programmes to focus more onthe landless and vulnerable rather than wealthy landowners;;support the government of Pakistan in computerizing landrecords.The UN should:ensure that post-disaster responses create more secure tenureand land rights for the poor and the marginalized in general,and women in particular;; to this end, to fully implement UN-HABITAT and UN-FAO guidelines for rapid tenure securitymeasures for returnees, protection and restoration of landrights of vulnerable groups, and secure rights and access toagricultural land for vulnerable groups, including tenants andwomen;;support governments in conducting land needs assessmentswithin the first six weeks of any disaster;;develop programmes that safeguard landless women andmen against arbitrary land grabbing.Landlords should:show leadership in the recovery and reconstruction effort bywriting off the debts of small farmers;;play a constructive role as wealthy landowners and contributeto the rehabilitation of damaged and destroyed irrigationstructures so that landless and poor tenants can resumeagricultural activities quickly;;responsibly uphold tenancy rights under the Tenancy Act byallowing the re-entry of those who had been on their landbefore the floods (without embarking on exploitativerenegotiated terms) and to facilitate the swift reconstruction ofhomes on their properties.Civil society and the media should:play an active role in highlighting the issue of land inequalityand hold the government, the international donor community,and landlords accountable for adequately addressing land28