News in 2013
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5th GLTN Partners Meeting – GLTN is now in its second phase
of operations 2012-2018 with substantial involvement by FIG
The Hague, The Netherlands, 11-14 November 2013
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Participants at the 5th GLTN Partners meeting |
The Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) who is an alliance of global regional
and national partners contributing to poverty alleviation through land
reform, improved land management and security of tenure particularly through
the development and dissemination of pro-poor and gender-sensitive land
tools held its 5th GLTN Partners' meeting on 11-13 November 2013 at the
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague, Netherlands.
For several years FIG has been an active partner of the network and has
contributed with various activities to help GLTN fulfill their overall
goals. Among other things FIG has gathered Surveyor Generals/Director
Generals from all over the world for discussions, lately in Abuja Nigeria as
part of the FIG Working Week 2013. A train-the-trainer symposium on the STDM
model was also held in Abuja for Young Surveyors, and two expert meetings
have been held in the Netherlands and in Sweden on Costing and Financing of
Land Administration Services (CoFLAS) in Developing Countries. GLTN, FIG and
other partners have embarked on an exercise of developing a tool that can
assist policy makers and practitioners in developing countries adopt
appropriate tools and methodologies that will facilitate and sustain the
provision of land services in an efficient, cost effective and inclusive
manner. The exercise aims to develop a methodology Costing and Financing of
Land Administration Services (CoFLAS) in Developing Countries.
GLTN finalised it’s 1st phase in 2012, and now new goals have been set
for the second phase (2012-2017) of operations, our objective is to support
international partner organisations, UN-Habitat and related land
programmes/projects and targeted countries and/or cities/municipalities in
improving tenure security of the urban and rural poor through the adoption
and implementation of land policies, tools and approaches that are pro-poor,
gender appropriate, effective and sustainable.
The Partner’s meeting was graced by the participation of hundred and
twenty representatives from forty three GLTN Partners and various observer
organisations. High-level officials gave insightful speeches on the
importance of good land governance and how to work together on its
implementation. Dr. Aisa K. Kacyira, Assistant Secretary General,
Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat and Chair of GLTN Steering Committee
and Ambassador K. Paulsen, Chair of the GLTN International Advisory
Board, emphasized the need of getting the right messages about land and
tenure security to the world leaders. Frits van der Wal from the
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew the attention on the global relevance
of the land agenda and remarked how partnership is necessary to make a
change in the lives of the people, especially at the country level where
positive change is most needed. Ms. Gerda Verburg, Permanent
Representative of The Kingdom of The Netherlands to the Rome-based UN
Agencies (FAO, WFP and IFAD) and Chair of the Committee on World Food
Security, spoke about the more prominent role that private sector and civil
society want and need to have to put land governance principles into
practice, with the support of governments and international organisations.
| On day two, the criteria and modalities for the
engagement of GLTN Partners at the country level were discussed.
GLTN's draft country level implementation plan was presented, and
working groups on Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America-Caribbean
unpacked the different specifics of the regions. Indications on the
way forward for regional engagement and countries / initiatives
identification were proposed and the day concluded with a site visit
to Dutch land tool areas. |
Visiting tour to several locations in Rotterdam among other things a
renovation-awarded social living area |
All partners worked on paving the way for the implementation of the GLTN
agenda. On the first day of the meeting, information was shared on GLTN's
current work, achievements and future plans. Snapshots of the work on the
continuum of land rights, grassroots engagement, and land indicators were
accompanied by an overview of GLTN's capacity development and partnership
strategies. In the afternoon session, Partners elected their Cluster
representatives and developed a work plan for each of the GLTN clusters.
The third and final day of the meeting focused on land tools, including
presentation and discussion on tools currently being developed or
implemented, and priorities for the way forward. Partners and clusters
discussed their interests and comparative advantages in these areas of work
and identified possible tool development commitments in a cross-cluster,
inter-partner fashion. Group discussions took place on interconnected tools
perceived to be the most relevant for the work of the Network: STDM / Gender
Evaluation Criteria / Enumeration and Land Readjustment / Land-based
Financing / City Wide Slum Upgrading. A lively discussion took place on
capacity development.
The 5th edition of the GLTN partners' meeting will have three main
objectives:
- Strengthening partnerships and networking at global, regional and
national levels.
- Promoting and rolling out tool development and implementation,
capacity development and good learning practices at country level and in
programmes.
- Expanding country level operations in a coordinated and strategic
fashion.
FIG was represented by President CheeHai Teo, incoming Chair of
Young Surveyors, Eva Maria Unger and FIG Manager Louise
Friis-Hansen. Hereto FIG was represented indirectly through other
Partners by several well known FIG representatives, hereunder Chair of Young
Surveyors Kate Fairlie, Commission 7 delegate Claire Galpin,
Past President Stig Enemark as well as representatives from Dutch
Kadaster.
Louise Friis-Hansen
December 2013
Discussions during the meeting |
Creative reports from the various group meetings |
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The bag |
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19 December 2013
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