Land experts from the Arab States call for increased coordination and capacity to improve on land governance

Land experts from 10 Arab countries are now in agreement that increased coordinated efforts, shared knowledge and capacity are needed to tackle land governance effectively. This conclusion was arrived at when 35 experts from different land governance-related disciplines and backgrounds met at the Expert Group Meeting on Fostering Good Land Governance in the Arab States that took place on the 26-28 September 2016 in Amman, Jordan.

The meeting co-hosted by the Global Land Tool Network, UN-Habitat, World Bank, GIZ, FAO, ILC, the Urban Training and Studies Institute and the Swiss Development Cooperation sought to develop a joint vision and key recommendations for improving land governance in the Arab region. The expert meeting enjoyed the support of the Jordanian Ministry of Municipal Affairs and included in its itinerary a study tour to the Jordanian Department of Land and Survey.

Participants articulated a joint vision: “All the people in the Arab countries enjoy equal and affordable access to land, peace, stability and economic growth, to be achieved with good land policies and transparent, efficient and affordable land administration systems”. A road map for the way forward was also developed, including some milestones to be delivered in the short term and a declared focus on important priority themes, such as land and conflict, fit-for-purpose land administration, women access to land, management of public land, land based investments, environment and climate change.

Participants of the Expert Group Meeting on Fostering Good Land Governance in the Arab States