A new development project aimed at strengthening governance and improving management of land and natural resources is underway in Lao PDR.  The announcement of the working agreement” known as RightsLINK (Land” Information” Networking and Knowledge) Lao” was made in Vientiane on August 3″ 2008 and marks official collaboration between the National Land Management Authority (NLMA) in Lao and the non-profit organization” Village Focus International (VFI).  Central to the objectives of this partnership is to strengthen sustainable management of land and natural resources in Lao through improvements and accessibility while facilitating the participation of farmers” local government officials” national policy makers and civil society groups in the decision-making process.

VFI and NLMA plan to support networks and develop platforms to improve coordination and communication across all levels of land planning and management schemes.  The initial six-month program” funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)” will begin by analyzing current land management practices in Lao in order to identify strategic entry points that complement other organizations working in this field.  A second phase of work will focus on a feasibility analysis for the establishment of a proposed RightsLINK resource center for information exchange among various stakeholders.

RightsLINK will work alongside the NLMA and other government agencies” civil society actors and community-based groups.  Following the current six-month development phase” the collaboration will launch its first three-year program in January 2009.