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FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), GTZ (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit) and other development partners are working together with countries to prepare Voluntary Guidelines that will provide practical guidance to states, civil society, the private sector, donors and development specialists on the responsible governance of tenure. By setting out principles and internationally accepted standards for responsible practices, the Voluntary Guidelines will provide a framework and point of reference that stakeholders can use when developing their own policies and actions. Regional consultations on the proposed Voluntary Guidelines are an important part of the process. They bring together regionally representative, multidisciplinary groups to assess regional priorities and issues that should be considered when the Voluntary Guidelines are drafted. The regional consultation for Southern Africa was hosted by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement of Namibia and was opened by the Minister, the Hon. Alpheus !Naruseb. The consultation was co-sponsored by BMZ (Ministry for Economic Development, Germany) and FAO, with local organizational support provided by the Namibia Institute for Democracy. It was attended by 57 people from 11 countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) who brought a rich and extensive range of expertise derived from their experience in the public sector, private sector, civil society and academia.
