Rwanda Initiative for
Sustainable Development

On 15th March 2011, Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Land Centre (NLC) establishing a partnership basing on the common objective of fair and just implementation of the land tenure regularization process (LTRP) in Rwanda. The MoU will work towards poverty reduction and sustainable peace and the effective implementation of the Africa Land Policy Framework and Guidelines (ALPFG). During the function, the Director General of NLC, Dr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza, explained that RISD and NLC had been informally working together for a long time but under this MoU, their respective roles will be clearly and formally defined. According to the RISD Board Chairperson, Bishop Nathan Kamusiime Gasatura, the overall objective of this MoU is to “ensure that the National Land Policy and the Organic Land Law, determining the use and management of land in Rwanda, are implemented effectively and in a fair and just manner, for the socio-economic development of all Rwandans, and ALPFG is implemented effectively in Rwanda, through an effective partnership between the government and civil societyâ€. “RISD’s role in the peaceful settlement of land related disputes has eased our operations, especially during the land tenure regularization process,†Dr. Nkurunziza noted. The Director General of NLC further stated that “The NLC and RISD will both realise synergies in their work which will be derived from an effective partnership between the government and civil society in the implementation and monitoring of the land reform process, which is a critical important component of the good governance and sustainable development process. Bishop Nathan Gasatura, the chairman of RISD Board of Directors, reaffirmed their commitment to support government programmes, especially those related to land. “We have a common objective and our role is to ensure that Rwandans, especially those in rural areas, are informed about land related issues and adopt changes that come along,†Gasatura said. This is the second cooperation agreement RISD has entered with public institutions, the first being a MoU with the Office of the Ombudsman.