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Securing Land and Property Rights for All
In this issue World Bank issues call for 2013 papers PAGE 2
DR Congo Land Reform Gets Boost
Uganda pilot shines at sixth World Urban Forum PAGE 2
Grants to facilitate the Congolese governments reform in its land sector as a step towards both peace and development UN-Habitat’s land reform programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo has received a major shot in the arm following two additional fundings. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently signed a grant agreement with UN-Habitat to expand the implementation of a land program in DR Congo through to 2014. The grant totaling USD 2.5 million will be channeled towards tackling land disputes in Eastern DR Congo as part of the land reform efforts already in progress. This USAID grant came barely a week after the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) Secretariat and the Regional Office for Africa (ROAf ) of UN-Habitat signed a one-year agreement to support the land reform efforts in the country. USAID began funding the UN-Habitat land program in 2010 under the framework of the International Security and Stabilization Support Strategy (ISSSS).
Under the agreement, USD100, 000 granted to GLTN secretariat will be directed towards streamlining core activities listed within the road map already agreed on between various stakeholders and the Congolese government following a national workshop held in July 2012. The Regional Office for Africa will also contribute USD105, 000 in cash and kind to strengthen the process.
Development Partners Praise Continuum of Land Rights Approach PAGE 3
Piloting Tools GLTN and ROAf, through the DRC Land program support the land reform process by promoting knowledge management, land sector coordination, undertaking capacity development and piloting selected GLTN land tools such as enumeration, Social Tenure Domain Model, gender evaluation criteria and transparency in land administration. Continued on page 3
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World Bank issues call for 2013 papers
Hot off the Press!
Abstracts will be guided by the 2013 theme,“Moving towards transparent land governance: Evidence-based next steps The Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty has announced its call for papers ahead of the meeting that will take place from April 8-11, 2013. Under the theme of “Moving towards transparent land governance: Evidencebased next steps”, the 2013 conference will provide a forum for an evidence-based discussion of innovative approaches to follow up on recent global and regional initiatives, and concrete steps to improve land governance at country level in a way that contributes to poverty reduction, gender equality, and sustainable economic growth. Papers are invited for presentations at the conference under a variety of themes including supporting
a continuum of rights in a decentralized environment, an area pertinent to the work undertaken by the Global Land Tool Network. Over the years, the conference has brought together representatives from governments, civil society, academia, the private sector and the development community to discuss issues of concern to land practitioners and policymakers worldwide. The annual conference is supported by, among others, UN-Habitat and GLTN and continues bring together land actors and the development community at large to discuss issues of concern to land practitioners and policymakers worldwide. For details log on to www.landandpoverty.com
Mobilisation des Ressources Financieres Locales (Francais - 2012) Guide du Maitre D’ouvrage Les Registres Fonciers Urbains (Francais - 2012) For more publications and News, go to www.gltn.net
Innovation: Uganda pilot shines at sixth World Urban Forum Uganda recently showcased a new land record system designed to ensure that land rights of the poor are enshrined and respected in towns and cities across the country. In a special presentation of a model case study at the sixth session of the World Urban Forum, Mr. Daudi Migereko, Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development of Uganda explained how the country had piloted the system known as the Social Tenure Domain Model in the southwestern town of Mbale in October 2011. The Ugandan authorities, the Ugandan Slum Federation, Shack/Slum Dwellers International, and UN-Habitat explained how the system and its software, which they demonstrated, can improve upon conventional land record systems.
Panelists at the Social Tenure Domain Model networking event PHOTO: UN-Habitat
“The pilot allowed different stakeholders to The International Federation of sit at one table and address a need. Now the Surveyors pledged to support further informal settlement residents in Mbale to development and implementation of capture the different claims to land, and have the system sponsored by the Cities their relationship to land registered in order to Alliance. improve their tenure security,” said Jack Makau RELATED Publication: Designing a Land of the Shack/ Slum Dwellers International. Records System for the Poor (2012)
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Round Table Emphasises Progress in Continuum Development partners use forum to express confidence in the approach, terming it as a more suitable way of providing tenure security for all
Norway’s Eric Berg expressed confidence in GLTN and its approach as a good platform given the centrality and increasing importance of the land agenda in development. While stressing the importance of actively engaging GLTN’s land reform agenda at the country level, SIDA’s Mikael Atterhog also noted the ability of GLTN’s work to contribute substantially to the goal of achieving security of tenure for all.
Norway’s Eric Berg addresses participants during the GLTN Round Table session held at the World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy. PHOTO: UN-Habitat/ Danilo Antonio
The Global Land Tool Network of partners joined UN-Habitat in celebrating the successes of the Continuum of Land Rights approach as the more sustainable way of providing security of tenure for all, at scale. The approach, described as a system where different sources of land access and use patterns co-exist, allows a diversity of tenure situations ranging from the most informal types of possession and use, to full ownership.
UN-Habitat’s deputy director, Ms Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, while opening the GLTN round table session held during the Sixth Session of the World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy, commended the Network’s progress. The Deputy Director also urged the Network to continue “building on the strengths of the continuum, such as affordability, the possibility of being implemented in a decentralised manner, its responsiveness to the needs of different social groups, and its linkages with improved governance.”
Growing acceptance The continuum, which was adopted at the 2011 UN-Habitat Governing Council resolution by Member States, is now widely accepted by the development community and member countries. GLTN secretariat’s Jean DuPlessis reported on continuum and the urgent tasks that arise from this growing acceptance, in particular for land tool development. “The continuum cannot work without supportive, pro-poor, gender-responsive land tools that can be implemented at scale,” he told donors, GLTN cluster coordinators, partners and participants. RELATED Publication: Handling Land - Innovative tools for land governance and secure tenure (2012)
Grants to boost DR Congo’s land reform continued from page 1 Since 2009, UN-Habitat, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has continued to facilitate a land program in DR Congo within the stabilisation frame-
work set up by the international community. The program addresses land disputes in the war affected zones in Eastern DR Congo in addition to supporting the Congolese government’s efforts in improving land governance and its land legal and institutional frameworks. The government has expressed its commitment
to reform in its land sector as a step towards both peace and development. Global Land Tool Network is a partnership of 50 global land actors working towards securing land and property rights for all.
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UN-Habitat makes leaps in measuring tenure security UN-Habitat and its partners have made considerable progress in developing a methodology consistent across countries and regions to measure security of tenure. This development follows the UN-Habitat Governing Council resolution in April 2011 to put in place global and national strategies and frameworks extending beyond this objective.
According to the report, lack of globally comparable data on this indicator selected at the onset of MDG monitoring meant that the component could not be utilised in estimates produced to date. People or households are considered to have secure tenure when there is evidence of documentation that can be used as proof of secure tenure status; or when there is either de facto or perceived protection against forced evictions.
However, while this year’s Report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) celebrates meeting targets on poverty, slums and water three years ahead of 2015, constituents on security of tenure were not factored in.
Featured Publication: Report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2012)
Youth and Land Contest: Call for entires
TALK TO US! For your comments, suggestions and further information, please contact us: Land and GLTN Unit, Urban Legislation, Land and Governance Branch, UN-Habitat
Submit photographs (six images), documentary (a four-minute film) or animation (a four-minute piece) about the youth challenges in cities today, using your area as an example, to address the youth and land connection. They could: •Present the challenges young people face as concerns land and provide solutions. •Identify the underlying issues that prevent the full inclusion of youth in the land agenda.
•Views of what can young people, working with their peers, community, local authorities and municipalities (can) do to increase youth participation in the land agenda. •We encourage you to give personal experiences and practical solutions Entries must be received by 30 October 2012 to gltn@unhabitat.org with a copy to esther.njeri@unhabitat.org
P.O. Box 30030-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel. +254 (0)20 762 5199 Email: gltn@unhabitat.org Website: www.gltn.net @GLTNnews