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(15).  Land Reform

In Section 3.3.1. Lack of Opportunities, the NPRS observes that “70 prevent of Cambodia’s population are employed in agricultural production,” but “12 to 15 percent have no agricultural land.“ Referring to a CDRI study, the NPRS notes that “Land distribution in Cambodia is inequitable and that the minority who are rich/well off occupy large areas of land, while the large majority of the poor/worse off have only small pieces of land to live on.”

In Section 4.1.2. (Lack of Opportunities, Improving Rural Livelihoods, Improved Access to Land), the NPRS refers to the RGC’s Interim Paper on Strategy of Land Policy:

(1). Land will be administered in a way, which makes property rights legally clear and secure;

(2) Concessions for social purposes will be made to distribute vacant land to socially needy households;

(3) Land will be managed in an environmentally sustainable way, which provide the poor with opportunities for secure access to natural resources (esp. land), to secure housing, to credit, and to employment, and for investment.

The NPRS says: “The relative sequence as well as the prioritization of programs and actions of land administration, management, and distribution will be determined according to the requirement of each respective area of application, which will be determined through surveys and analysis. For example, in areas where land has heretofore been undisturbed, distribution will take precedence over administration. Where titles already exist and ownership is undisputed, administration and management will come before distribution…”

NPRS Objectives, Indicators, and Targets (Section 6.1, and Annex 3 Matrix):

Land Admin: Land legislations to be completed and the MAP implemented. The key indicator is the percentage of rural households that are landless and the number of land titles issued. The targets are to reduce landlessness to 7-10% by 2005 (from 12-15% in 2002).

Land distribution: Social land concessions sub-decree to be completed by 2003; procedures to be clarified; and pilot study completed. No targets for distribution set yet.

Land management: Land Use Plans sub-decree to be completed 2003/04; responsibilities clarified, and provincial land classification maps prepared.

NGO Action: 

The NGO CG Statement argues that “the highest implementation priorities should concentrate on land distribution (Social Concessions) and land management (demarcation, registration of State Land), and that the priority for land administration should be titling in areas where poor people are most vulnerable to being dispossessed.

• Monitor development of Sub-decrees on Social Land Concessions, to be completed by 2003, as well as clarification of procedures and pilot study;
• Monitor development of Sub-decrees on Land Use to be completed 2003/04, as well clarification of responsibilities, and the preparation of provincial land classification maps:
• Monitor development of Sub-decree on community ownership of land to be completed by the end of 2003 (re. Ethnic minorities);
• Monitor development of Sub-decree on community forestry by early 2004;
• Monitor implementation of forests concessions management to be reviewed by effected communities;
• Monitor implementation of all laws and sub-decrees concerning land;
• Conduct research and analysis concerning land titling and land distribution, with particular emphasis on access of poor to both good quality land and titles.

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