Jesse Coleman on the open land contracts repository
At CFS, the Global Donor Working Group on Land organised a side-event that explored the impact of investments in rural areas. Jesse Coleman, as part of the panel, presented the new OpenLandContracts repository and the benefits of a freely accessible contracts database.
The OpenLandContracts.org repository aims to increase the transparency and accesibility of land deals and contracts. The website contains nearly two hundred documents from 14 countries. The database is publicly avaiable and the information on it allows the users to learn about contracts and deals, compare conditions and ultimately agree to more fair and transparent deals.
Mini grants foster the innovative use of the information available in the database. The Centre of Environment and Development in Cameroon used the information on the website to create a template that allowed NGOs to work with the available contracts and assess whether the companies involved in these contracts are abiding by the conditions set out in the documents.
Although the repository is already serving many of the users and fulfilling the initial aim, donor agencies can help with closing the feedback loop on the available information and facilitate the evidence use in policy making decisions.
Projects like the OpenLandContracts facilitate more transparency and enable the private sector to engage directly and openly with rural communities. Also it helps communities negotiate better conditions and track the implementation, herewith contributing to more inclusive and fair investments.