As part of one of the land restitution pilot projects supported by
IOM, 34 peasant farmer families in northwestern Colombia forced to
abandon their lands because of the activities of illegal armed
groups, this week received the title deeds for their lands.

The 34 families are part of a group of 712 families
participating in a regional land restitution pilot project underway
in Turbo, a municipality in northwestern Colombia, which has been
seriously affected by the violence committed by paramilitary
groups. IOM is providing technical assistance to the National
Reparation and Reconciliation Commission (NRRC) with funding from
the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

So far, 158 families participating in this pilot project have
received title deed to their lands. The remaining 554 participants
have presented the necessary documents and are waiting for their
title deeds to be issued.

The 34 families received their title deeds from the Minister of
Agriculture, Juan Camilo Restrepo, who has expressed his commitment
to support victims that have been uprooted from their property.

"The handing over of the title deeds to these families that were
dispossessed and living in extreme uncertainty shows that by
working together, partner institutions can pave the way towards
recovery so those who had lost their lands can build new lives and
improve their economic situation," said Marcelo Pisani, IOM Chief
of Mission in Colombia.

IOM has provided support to other NRRC pilot projects, including
in the municipalities of Mampuján and Chengue in northern
Colombia, benefitting 518 peasant farmer victims of violence. So
far 21 title deeds have been handed over and another 198 are
scheduled to be ready in November.

As part of a cooperation agreement signed this month by IOM and
the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, IOM will provide technical
assistance for the drafting of a land restitution plan, and
creation of a National Land Restitution System; for a programme to
legalize rural land tenancies issues; supporting the implementation
of the Land Reform Bill to be debated in Congress; and for the
creation of a rural development programme for victims of
violence.

To date, 1,230 individuals have been assisted with land
restitution through three IOM pilot projects.

An estimated two million hectares of farm land have been
abandoned by persons fleeing the violence.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel: +57 1 639 7777

E-mail: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int