Resource information
The regionally unique constitution of
the Republic of Vanuatu provides that-all land in Vanuatu
belongs to custom owners and their descendants and that
the-rule of custom shall form the basis of ownership and use
of land. Implementing this principle, however, after decades
of land alienation by foreigners using alien laws has proven
to be challenging. Concerns over actual and perceived
problems of land alienation through leasing in Vanuatu
triggered a national land summit in 2006, followed by an
interim transitional implementation strategy and a national
land review, all of which set the stage for a legislative
and administrative reform agenda and served as a guide to
short-and long-term assistance to the land sector. This note
summarizes the research findings, prioritizes problematic
issues for policy consideration, and offers practical for
addressing these issues to ensure more equitable and
therefore durable future lease creation and lease
administration procedures. This study provides an estimate
of how much of Vanuatu's land is currently under lease,
where land has been leased and how it is being used, the
duration of leases, and the extent of lease subdivisions as
of December 2010.
