Berlin Land Week 2025: From Closing to Continuity
by Oliver Puginier
As debates on land and development remain urgent, the Land Week of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in October 2025 placed the question of how cross-sectoral land governance can work at the center of attention. The discussions highlighted where progress is becoming visible and where key gaps remain. As part of the Partners for change (P4C) Network, a Declaration on the Future of Land Governance was adopted.
After ten years of implementation, the conference entitled “10 years of Global Programme Responsible Land Policy – From Closing to Continuity” built on the experiences and lessons learned from the GIZ Global Programme Responsible Land Policy (GPPRLP) in the target countries. The event brought together 135 global experts, practitioners, diverse national partners and subject matter specialists over the period 13-16 October 2025 in the German capital Berlin to share experiences and foster cross-country exchanges. The closing conference in Berlin was not just a moment to look back, it was a space for learning, reflection, and forward thinking. Over three days, participants explored how to carry lessons from the past decade into the future. The message was clear: responsible land governance is a global team effort. Real progress comes when partners share what works, adapt to changing realities, and continue to learn from each other.
The title of the conference reflects the importance of Knowledge Continuity, which ensures that land governance knowledge, information and experiences are continuously shared across projects and countries. Additional experiences and lessons learnt from the Global Programme Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa (SLGA) were also reflected. The event was combined with the LandHub, which is a GIZ-led community of practice that regularly brings together experts to exchange experiences, then reflect on strategic opportunities and challenges to foster the development of land governance initiatives.
One key question that guided the conference was raised by Prof. Moses Musinguzi from Makerere University in Uganda:
“Land governance is Africa’s greatest challenge, every other solution intersects with it. The question is: how do we ensure that land governance is mainstreamed across all sectors?”
One key topic was raised in the context of the role of Africa’s youth. With more than 60% of Africans under the age of 25, and the average farmer now over 55, the generational gap is striking. “Africa’s future food systems depend on empowering its youth,” said John World Ackah Bonoua from the from the Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA). Secure land tenure and fair access are crucial for unlocking investment, innovation, and climate-smart entrepreneurship. If Africa is to feed its growing population and build sustainable rural economies, young people must be placed at the heart of land policies. A clear statement illustrates this:
"Young people have ideas, but they lack trust and the means to act. Africa's future will be built with its youth – or it will not be built at all."
Another key topic was the focus of global initiatives to empower women for land tenure security and livelihood development which was further strengthened by a strong call by Faith Alubbe from the Kenya Land Alliance for justice:
"Leaving out a section of citizens in policymaking is not just an oversight, it is a question of justice. Every policy should begin as a discussion of justice."
Institutional commitments included those made by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) during a panel discussion with key partners. Three statements from Mr. Paul Garaycochea (Director of Sustainable Transformation of Supply Chains, BMZ) illustrate these commitments well:
“German Development Cooperation will not remain at an abstract level, but engages in dialogue with all sides. We do not have all the solutions – they must come from the ground. Young people are an essential part of this thinking.”
“German Development Cooperation is not about abstract ideas, but real dialogue with all voices. Solutions must rise from the ground – and youth must be at the heart of that process.”
“German Development Cooperation is a partner who doesn’t know the solutions, but empowers those who have them.”
In order to secure a long-term commitment for future interventions and engagements of partner institutions, a Closing Declaration was initially drafted by an interdisciplinary writing committee prior to the conference, which was enhanced with inputs from participants during the conference. The declaration aims to inform key continental and global platforms that shape land policy and governance. What makes the document unique is how it came to life. It was co-created through a participatory process involving diverse stakeholders – from government representatives and civil society to private sector actors, academia and implementing partners in the land sector. The Declaration was endorsed by national partners during the conference and serves as a pathway towards future land tenure security. The declaration Shaping the Future of Land Governance: A Global Call to Action for Food Security and Fair Life for All and was voted on towards the end of the Global Land Week 2025.
In summary, the conference reflected on experiences and lessons learned from programme implementation in the target countries, together with a diversity of national partners from government agencies, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), research institutions, multilateral organizations, think tanks and academia. It facilitated knowledge sharing among participants, fostered strategic reflections and provided an outlook on future interventions and partner commitment in the field of land tenure security, so as to secure a continuation of the progress made to date. The Closing Declaration is a good basis for a continued joint commitment to land governance that shall be continued in the spirit of Knowledge Continuity.
Background of the GPRLP:
Since 2015, the Global Programme Responsible Land Policy (GPPRLP) commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union has improved the access to land for more than 650,000 households in eleven countries: Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Laos, Madagascar, Niger, Paraguay, Peru and Uganda. By now 64% of secured land rights are in the name of women or in joint registration and more than 11.000 land conflicts have been solved with the involvement of civil society actors. In addition, framework conditions for responsible investment in land by the private sector have been improved through work with all relevant stakeholders. As a result, more than 300 private investors now follow international guidelines for responsible investments. This initiative is part of the broader BMZ Partners for Change (P4C) network that was established in 2023 and has been linking global agendas with the transformation experience on the ground to promote an active transformation debate.