The 5th edition of the Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA) kicked off works on November 21, under the theme: 'Promoting Sustainable Land Governance in Africa for Accelerating Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA). The event is held in a hybrid format, combining virtual sessions and physical participation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Over 900 participants will take part in the conference, whose theme aligns with the African Union Theme of 2023: 'Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation.' CLPA is organised biennially by the African Land Policy Centre, a joint initiative of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank. Participants include experts from government, academia, research, traditional authorities and other non-state actors, the private sector, and development partners. The overall objective of the conference is to deepen commitment and strengthen capacity for land policy develo pment, implementation, and monitoring in Africa through improved access to knowledge and information in support of evidence-based land policymaking. The dialogue will also foster improved networking, partnerships and resources for land governance and land policy in Africa. More than 60 sessions on various themes will be scheduled during the event, namely: "Inclusive land governance to improve intra-African trade," "Implementing the AfCFTA: Land-related barriers to the inclusion of African women, pastoralists and youth," "the confluence of the agricultural environment and cross-border trade in the context of the AfCFTA," "best practices in documenting land access, control and ownership in Africa," and "spatial planning, infrastructure and transport planning to improve trade in Africa." Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse