The Fifth Regional Conference of African National Land Institutions will take place from October 14–16, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, under the theme “Securing Community Land Rights in Africa.”

Co-hosted by the Government of Sierra Leone, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), and the Sierra Leone Land Alliance (SLLA), the 2025 edition will bring together government representatives, civil society organizations, Indigenous and community leaders, and regional institutions from across Africa.

This biennial event is part of the African Land Institutions Network for Community Rights (ALIN) — a unique platform for experience sharing, peer learning, and collaboration among African national land institutions.

Building on the progress made in previous editions held in Ghana (2017), Madagascar (2019), Togo (2021), and Tanzania (2023), the 2025 conference will assess the implementation of national action plans, share lessons learned, and chart a new collective roadmap for advancing community and customary land rights across the continent.

Why This Conference Matters

Across Africa, national governments and regional institutions are advancing bold land and forest tenure reforms to secure the rights of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. Yet challenges persist — from limited institutional capacity and underfunding to the slow implementation of policies and laws.

The 2025 Conference aims to:

• Evaluate progress made since the 2023 Arusha Conference;

• Strengthen collaboration among national land institutions, civil society, and regional economic communities;

• Highlight innovations in land and forest governance that promote equity, gender inclusion, and climate resilience; and

• Reaffirm commitments to secure community land rights as a foundation for peace, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation.

Objectives

The conference will:

1. Identify best strategies to expand community land rights across Africa.

2. Reflect on the roles and responsibilities of national land institutions and address implementation challenges.

3. Discuss progress on national land policy reforms and implementation of work plans adopted in 2023.

4. Develop a new regional roadmap for ALIN to promote secure community and customary land tenure at national and continental levels.

Expected Outcomes

• Renewed commitments and recommendations for securing community land rights.

• Country work plans identifying next steps for implementing land tenure reforms.

• A consolidated report on the status of land policy and legislation in Africa.

• A monitoring and evaluation framework to track ALIN members’ progress and accountability.

Check out daily summaries from the conference below!