FIG Vice President Diane Dumashie stated that "brilliant ideas do not come from silos" in her presentation at the 7th GLTN partners meeting.
"Land is the maker and the marker for the SDG's"
FIG has been working with the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) facilitated by UN-Habitat since its very beginning in 2006. In 2018 the 7th Partners Meeting was held with a record number of participants at the UN-Habitat premises in Nairobi, Kenya.
Today, the Global Land Tool Network consists of 77 partners. For the term 2017-18 FIG has been in the lead of those partners that belong to the cluster of International Professional Bodies, counting in total 14 of the 77 partners. FIG was represented by Vice President Diane Dumashie, Chair of Young Surveyors Eva-Maria Unger and Director Louise Friis-Hansen. Present were many connected to FIG, hereunder Honorary President Stig Enemark, and Chair Elect of FIG Commission 2 David Mitchell.
The partners meeting focused on the finalisation and evaluation of phase 2 and discussions on the strategy of the upcoming phase 3 that will run from 2019-2030. Where the first GTLN phase 1 2006-2011 focused on the development of land tools, phase 2 concentrated on the usage of the tools at a country level. Still further tools were developed and existing tools refined.
In phase 3, the network will focus on the further development of priority land tools and approaches, as well as their implementation to support national and local governments, in conjunction with civil society organizations, the private sector, local communities and other land actors to deliver on the international commitments and obligations, (VGGTs, NUA, SDGs) towards sustainable land governance and improved tenure security for all, with a focus on women, youth and vulnerable groups in both urban and rural settings. The first part of Phase 3 will be 2019-2023.
The UN Habitat Excutive Director sent a message to the partners meeting via a video. She emphasised that the work of the GLTN Partners is impressive, with a real domino effect influencing positive changes in the lives of urban poor. Land is central to UN Habitat’s mandate in order to achieve sustainable development and to fight inequality. When inclusively managed, land can be used to fight poverty, reduce conflict, establish food security and prevent unplanned urbanization and land and tenure security is critical to the delivery of the SGDs and NUA. Land is where development starts.
The evaluation of phase 2 showed an effective and efficient network that has managed to create results. During the partners meeting there were presentations of country key achievements and lessons from: Nepal, Philippines, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, the Sudan and Iraq.
FIG Vice President participated in a panel discussion that addressed land tenure security issues for achieving sustainable development: new paradigm. She pointed out that "brilliant ideas do not come from silos"; GLTN is a diverse network and it is important that the partners have a deeper understanding of each other. The results need to be carried out both within the, now larger, network, and to a wider audience.
The country implementation sessions included, apart from presentations, a poster session in which all participants were invited to discuss with representatives from all the different projects.
The last part of the meeting concentrated on the finalisation of the strategic framework for 2019-2030. The strategy continues the country focus and also a refinement of tools as well as finalisation of the tools that are still being developed. It is essential for GLTN to move from a grassroot level to get anchored at a government and ministry level. The communication of the importance of land and the connection to the SDG's also has a special focus.
At the partners meeting the Guide for Valuation of Unregistered land was launched. The work on the guide was started all the way back in 2010. FIG has held two expert group meetings to discuss the content and development of the guide and the theme of unregistered lands has been part of the technical programme each year at FIG Working Weeks and Congresses. The guide was launched at a dinner, and Louise Friis-Hansen remarked: ‘Valuation of Unregistered Lands : A Policy Guide’ is based on internationally recognized GLTN’s continuum of land rights framework and aims to significantly contribute to our collaborative journey of securing land and property rights for all. Valuation of unregistered lands will strengthen the implementation of global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda, the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) and the continuum of land rights approach. Transparency in valuation decisions, reduced public expenditure, reduced land disputes; land market development and reduced corruption are other positive impacts that will accrue from the implementation of the policy guide.
Voluntary Community Surveyor Programme (VCSP) is a programme that has been driven by FIG Young Surveyors. 13 Young Surveyors from Senegal, Nigeria, Nepal, New Zealand, Uganda, Denmark, Namibia, Philippines and Zimbabwe have successfully been working on GLTN Projects for 2–4 weeks in DR Congo, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, Philippines and Zambia. The VCSP leverages on the skills, experience, talents and education of young surveyors, and matches this competence with the needs of GLTN, particularly in GLTN’s country level implementation plans and programs.
The Fit-for-Purpose approach to land administration offers a practical solution to provide security of tenure for all and to enable effective management of land use and natural resources. It provides a new, innovative and pragmatic solution to land administration focused on developing countries, where current land administration solutions are not effective or not delivering at scale. FIG Africa Regional Network conveined a workshop/learning exchange n Rwanda on the Fit-for-Purpose approach. It is important for FIG to promote the FFP concept and engagements among land professionals. The participants concluded that the FFP approach provides trust in government through providing security of tenure, builds the future of land professionals – especially in developing countries and serves people by building a sustainable future.
Frits van der Wal, Netherlands with Oumar Sylla, GLTN. The government of the Netherlands has been one of the larger donors and contributers for the GLTN Phase 2 implementation.