News in 2025

The Power of Partnerships: The World Bank 2025 Land Conference

5-8 May 2025, Washington DC, USA

 

The FIG president and community took part in driving global land governance forward by connecting, collaborating, and strengthening capacity at the conference

 

By FIG President Diane Dumashie

FIG Senior Officers at the 2025 Lands Conference left to right: Mikael Lilje (FIG Honorary Member, Sweden), Kate Fairley (Co-convenor SIDS, Vice Chair Commission 7.5 Stand for Her Land, Australia), Diane Dumashie (FIG President), Stephen Djaba (FIG Honorary and Chair Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, Ghana)

FIG President Diane Dumashie participated in the World Bank Annual Land Conference, held in Washington, D.C., USA, from 5 to 8 May 2025. This event is recognised as a premier global forum for discussions on the land sector, showcasing research, technical advancements, and best practices to inform investments and policy dialogue aimed at strengthening land systems for sustainable development and economic growth.

During the conference, the opportunity to enhance collaboration between FIG and the World Bank (WB) was maximised through meetings with WB Global Lead Land Administrator Mika-Petteri Torhonen and other key land specialists, including Victoria Stanley, Kathrine Kelm, Stamatis Kotouzas, and Danilo Antonio. This year’s conference brought together over 800 participants from 70 countries, with many joining virtually, underscoring the broad reach and impact of this conference.

It is significant to note that the level of impact and contribution through the conference side meetings and sessions can be seen from the many of the FIG community attending. Some of the FIG community are highlighted in the photo gallery below.

The 2025 conference theme “Securing Land Tenure and Access: Moving from Awareness to Action” was set in the context of pressing global challenges such as the jobs crisis, rapid urbanisation, and the growing demand for energy and infrastructure. Secure land access was identified as a critical foundation for inclusive economic growth, job creation, private investment, public revenue enhancement, and strengthened food and energy security, with particular emphasis on inclusion of women and marginalised groups.

Plenary attendees in the View Lands Conference Plenary Hall (Overspill Hall holding similar numbers)

Klaus Deniger from the World Bank explaining how WB programs support country led land development

The conference was structured around high-profile plenary sessions that highlighted the essential role of land governance, policy, and administration in unlocking opportunities for jobs and growth. Each of the four plenaries underscored this message, with speakers delivering insightful presentations. The opening session illustrated how effective land systems contribute to advancing energy strategies. In this context, Klaus Deniger demonstrated the World Bank’s role and programmes, while Guangzhe Chen (Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank) detailed the institution’s active land portfolio, which amounts to $2.9 billion and spans 31 countries.

 

In addition to the plenary sessions, the conference featured 57 thematic sessions covering diverse thematic topics, including land administration, energy transition, urbanisation, climate and disaster resilience, standards, women’s rights, and research.

In the research thematic a notable session was organised by the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) on 6 May 2025. Sponsored by GIZ and Led by Professor Uchendu Eugene Chigbu (Namibia University of Science and Technology - NUST) along with Nanny Wiechert (Head of Project, Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa, GIZ), this session emphasised the theme “Securing Land for Climate Action in Africa.” Participants shared practical applications and case studies from across Africa, with contributions from experts including: Dr Agnes Mwasumbi (NELGA EA), Prof Sylvana Rudit King (NELGA WA), and Adil Sait (GLTN). Antoine Innocent Houedji (Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA) and FIG Vice Chair Dr Jennilee Kohima (FIG Commission 8.1 Urban-rural Land Linkages/ NUST).

The session concluded with President Diane Dumashie wrapped up the session with closing words highlighting “Power of Partnerships: Networks that connect, collaborate, increase capacity and to create coordinated impact”.

Further, the session was also supported by African Union/ African Land Policy Initiative. It is expected that the issues raised in this session will be followed up in the upcoming NELGA Alumni conference, themed “The Impact of Applied Research on Land Governance in Africa" (8-9 July, Accra, Ghana). With further deliberations moving to action at the African Land Policy Conference 2025 (10th to 14th November 2025). At both these upcoming forums M.M Kabir, (FIG Chair African RCD Network) will be a key panellist at the former and organising the Africa RCDN at the latter.

NELGA Special Session: D. Dumashie and panellists

 

In line with women’s rights theme, Kwabena Asiama, (Chair FIG Commission 8), presented in a dedicated session on advancing women’s land rights under the Rio Conventions. This session focused on strategies to promote gender equality in land access and tenure. The use of the banner headline quotes also served to inspire an interesting and audience participatory discussion. (See slides in photo gallery below.)

 

Klaus Deniger (WB) and the National Ministry of Panchayati Raj (with support from the State/UT: Revenue Department/ Panchayati Raj Department) and Technology Partner: Survey of India hosted a special round table session “Transforming Land Governance through SVAMITVA Scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas). This is of particular interest to our survey community as it uses Drone technology to map-at-scale rural land parcels over a 5+ year period. The project was showcased and stimulated many questions as the roundtable participants sought to fully understand the challenges overcome to reach the successful outcomes presented.

 

In conclusion, the 2025 WB Lands Conference was a success, very well addressing the objectives set and to demonstrate the move from awareness to action. It achieved this by highlighting effective strategies for securing land tenure and access and scaling up land sector initiatives, investments, and policy reforms that promote global prosperity and environmental sustainability.
Looking forward to the next World Bank Land Conference in 2027, where the FIG community will undoubtedly continue to contribute drawing from the strength of FIG global network that connects, collaborates, and increases capacity for its members for the benefit of people and planet.

The papers from the conference are expected to be uploaded to the World Bank web page.

 

Photo gallery

Left: FIG strategic partnerships with World Bank: On the left, Danilo Antonio (WB land specialist). Middle: FIG Task Force Chairs, Paula Dijkstra, (TF Agenda 2030/ SDG;s) and Stephen Djaba (TF Diversity and Inclusion). Right: Mika-Petteri Torhonen WB Global Lead Land Administrator

FIG Ghana Member Naa Lamikai Adofo. Middle and right: FIG Ghana delegation

Key Land messages from Women’s Lands Rights session. Left: K. Asiama, FIG Commission 8. Middle: J. Edeme, Director, African Union. Right: E. Visbuta, UNECA

Left: FIG partner Landesa Team. Left middle: FIG partner Land Portal. Right middle: FIG community: Pike ESRI (FIG corporate member), Ester Esther Mwaura-Muiru, Landesa (Stand for her Land). Right: Emmanuel Sampson, Leica, (FIG corporate member) 

 

Conference sponsors included:

Leica Geosystems part of Hexagon (FIG corporate member)

UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office

Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada

PROGREEN

The Government of Germany

The Government of the Netherlands

The Government of Korea

Emirates Real Estate Solutions

Landesa