HARMONIZING BOUNDARIES Effective Negotiation Procedures to Delimit, Demarcate and Resolve Disputes over Boundaries PHOTO CREDIT: PARLEY PHOTO NOVEMBER 2016 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Tetra Tech. This publication was produced by Tetra Tech for review by the United States Agency for International Development by Christopher Moore of CDR Associates with contributions from Greg Kitt and the staff of Parley on surveys and significant fieldwork on Liberian boundary harmonization activities, through the USAID/Liberia Land Governance Support Activity Project, Contract No: AID-OAA-I-12-00032, Task Order No: AID-669-TO-15-00003. This report was prepared by: Tetra Tech 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, Vermont 05401 USA Telephone: (802) 658-3890 Fax: (802) 495-0282 E-Mail: [email protected] Tetra Tech Contacts: Mark Marquardt, Chief of Party [email protected] Megan Huth, Project Manager [email protected] David Felson, Deputy Project Manager [email protected] HARMONIZING BOUNDARIES Effective Negotiation Procedures to Delimit, Demarcate and Resolve Disputes over Boundaries NOVEMBER 2016 DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. ACNOWLEDGEMENTS A number of colleagues made valuable contributions to the development of this document. First, we would like to thank a number of staff members of Parley including Nyahn Flomo for coordinating field work on boundary issues, David Lamah and Prince Williams for developing the study design and conducting field interviews in twelve Liberian communities; and Miatta Konah and Rebecca Secklo for piloting a boundary harmonization training programs in six communities. We would also like to thank Emiko Guthe of Tetra Tech for her contribution on technical assistance and technologies for boundary delineation and demarcation. Finally we would like to thank Tzili Mor, My-Lan Dodd and Justine Uvuza of Landesa, for conducting a gender review of the document. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. I ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.0 BOUNDARIES .................................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 FOCUS OF THE REPORT ......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 BOUNDARIES ........................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND TERMINOLOGY................................................................................... 9 1.2.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.2 TERMINOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................ 9 2.0 BOUNDARY HARMONIZATION ................................................................................................ 11 2.1 TWELVE PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL BOUNDARY HARMONIZATION & NEGOTIATIONS ... ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 NEGOTIATION PROCEDURES – POSITIONAL AND INTEREST-BASED PROCESSES .................... 14 2.3 PREPARING FOR BOUNDARY HARMONIZATION NEGOTIATIONS ................................................. 18 2.4 MAPPING COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES .......................................................................................................... 29 2.5 COORDINATION WITH NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES AND THEIR NEGOTIATION TEAMS . ....................................................................................................................................................... 35 2.6 WALKING THE LAND TO IDENTIFY WHERE COMMUNITIES AGREE, HAVE QUESTIONS OR DISAGREE OVER BOUNDARIES ......................................................................................................................... 42 2.7 NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS ON BOUNDARIES ..................................................................................... 43 2.8 CONFIRMING NEGOTIATED BOUNDARIES WITH COMMUNITIES ................................................... 48 2.9 DEMARCATING NEGOTIATED BOUNDARIES CONFIRMED BY COMMUNITIES .......................... 52 2.10 FORMALIZING COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES ................................................................................................ 53 2.11 SECURING LEGAL RECOGNITION OF COMMUNITY LAND BY THE GOVERNMENT ................ 56 3.0 ISSUES THAT MAY CAUSE BOUNDARY DISPUTES AND POTENTIAL NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES TO RESOLVE THEM ............................................................................................. 57 3.1 ISSUES THAT MAY CAUSE DISPUTES AND RESOLUTION STRATEGIES .................................................. 57 4.0 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR BOUNDARY DELINEATION AND DEMARCATION ................................................................................................................... 75 4.1 SIMPLE MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND APPROACHES FOR MAPPING COMMUNITY LAND ......... 75 4.2 SURVEYORS AND SURVEYS ....................................................................................................................................... 76 4.3 GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS (GPS) ................................................................................................................ 78 5.0 PROMOTING VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH BOUNDARY AGREEMENTS............... 79 5.1 DOCUMENTATION AND REGISTRATION .......................................................................................................... 79 5.2 COMMUNITY EDUCATION ....................................................................................................................................... 79 5.3 ISSUE OR COMPLAINT RESOLUTION PROCEDURES ...................................................................................... 79 6.0 PROCEDURES TO RESOLVE BOUNDARY ISSUES WHEN VOLUNTARY UNASSISTED AGREEMENTS ARE DIFFICULT OR NOT POSSIBLE .............................................................. 82 6.1 HELP TO REACH VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS .................................................................................................. 82 6.2 ADVICE ON POTENTIAL SETTLEMENTS OR AGREEMENTS ......................................................................... 85 6.3 NON-BINDING OR BINDING THIRD-PARTY DECISION MAKING ........................................................... 86 APPENDIX A: STATUTORY DOCUMENTS ON LAND OWNERSHIP IN LIBERIA ....................... 90 APPENDIX B: FIELD NOTES ON COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES, INTER-COMMUNITY BOUNDARY DISPUTES AND DISPUTE RESOLUTIONS EFFORTS IN TWELVE COMMUNITIES IN LIBERIA ......................................................................................................... 92 LGSA HARMONIZING BOUNDARIES REPORT I ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution BATNA Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement CBO Community Based Organization CDR Collaborative Dispute Resolution CFDC Community Forest Development Committee CHC Community Health Committee CLMDA Community Land Development Management Association FDA Forest Development Authority GIS Geographic Information Systems GPS Global Positioning System ICC Interim Coordinating Committee ILTF Interim Land Task Force INGO International Nongovernmental Organization LC Land Commission LCC Land Coordination Center LGC Land Governing Committee LGSA Land Governance Support Activity Project MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Nongovernmental Organization NRC Norwegian Refugee Council PROSPER People, Rules and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources SDI Sustainable Development Initiative USAID United States Agency for International Development WATNA Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement LGSA HARMONIZING BOUNDARIES REPORT II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report on Harmonizing Boundaries: Effective Negotiation Procedures for Delimiting, Demarcating and Resolving Boundary Disputes provides information that can be used by individuals, families, clans, communities, towns/villages and political entities to delineate and demarcate boundaries. While prepared as a contribution toward implementation of Liberia’s new Land Policy and Land Rights Act, the latter of which is currently a bill that details procedures for legal recognition of customary land rights, procedures in the report can be used in a variety of contexts and countries where parties want to harmonize either internal or external boundaries. In April 2016, the LGSA recommended to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Liberia’s Interim Land Task Force (ILTF) that an activity be initiated to assist the Government of Liberia and customary communities identify boundaries between