Land Administration System in Syria: Analysis and Recommendations

A functioning land administration is essential to sustain socio-economic development, peace and stability and the realization of human rights. Over the years, Syria has developed an articulated and detailed system that provided the foundation of its development. After decades of limited reforms and ten years of crisis, the Syrian land administration system requires urgent updating and some structural modifications to foster reconstruction and pave the ground to social and economic recovery.

This report is a contribution towards this process, which will require a shared and in-depth understanding of the functioning of the land administration system by Syrian and international partners alike. It targets a broad audience of public officers, land professionals, practitioners, and development and humanitarian actors. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the Syrian land administration system, its features and challenges before and after the crisis and its capacity to respond to the needs of the Syrian society. It investigates the land administration functions, the dispute resolution system, the data infrastructure, the legal and institutional frameworks and the land stakeholders.