Transcript The Land Governance Challenge in the Arab Region

CAPACITY AND CONNECTIVITY
A New Approach for Strengthening Land Governance
Initiatives in the Arab Region
Land and Poverty Conference: Scaling up Responsible Land Governance
Washington, DC, March 14-18, 2016
Willi Zimmermann
Germany
Major Land Governance Challenges in the Arab Region,
We must consider the context for responsible Land Governance:
1.
2.
3.
The consequences of violent conflicts and displacements, especially in Syria, Iraq, Libya,
Yemen and Palestine are profound and far reaching, inclusively for the neighboring countries
The Arab region is particularly vulnerable to climate change. It is one of the most waterscarce regions in the world. Sustainable land management is crucial for adaptation.
Weak governance in terms of transparency, rule of law, stakeholder inclusion, access to
information, women’s rights in land, luck of trust between actors and in addressing
corruption. There are obvious research gaps and a weak knowledge-sharing culture.
Land and
Conflict
Land
Administration
Violent conflicts, Weak service
displacements
delivery,
and migration
Discrepancies de
jure versus de
Land and water fact, unregulated
scarity conflicts state land
Gaps in Land
Law and
Policies
Coherence
degree
Informal LandT.
Gendered land
rights,
Common
property
Land in
Climate
Change
General
Governance
Gaps
Land /water
tenure, Land
degradation,
Pastoral
rights
Lacking
trust in land
actors,
Corruption,
Information
policy,
Is the Arab Region falling behind the global
Land Governance debate and implementation?
e.g: The Land Conference 2016 is highlighting topics such as:
 Land Policy Development Processes in numerous countries
 Using LGAF as an Input for a Broader Policy Dialogue (around 40
countries)
 Progress in the Implementation of the LPI Strategic Plan Africa
 Perspectives from African Universities in the Implementation of the
AFRICAN UNION Declaration on Land
 FAO’s global implementation programme on the VGGT
 Collective Action for Strengthening Women's Rights to Land
 Doing Business and Innovations in Quality of Land Administration
 Addressing Land Related Corruption
There is significant pogress in modernising Land Registration Systems,
however the focus is on IT solutions and not sufficiently complemented by
land policy, regulating state land and reforming land legislation.
International Partnership in
Land Projects in the Arab Region (broad overview)
The World Bank;Lebanon, Tunisia, Kuwait, WBG, SAU: Land Administration
HABITAT; Iraq, KRG, Syria, Palestine: Cluster lead HLP: support GLTN
HABITAT: Egypt: Land Readjustment, Land Regularisation
IFAD; Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco: Rural Development and NRM
EU; Jordan: Enhancement of the Cadastral System
GIZ; Egypt: Land Regularisation;
MCC; Morocco: Land Compact
FAO: VGGT Sudan andVGGT Awareness Raising Arab Region
The ARAB region is at a cross road.
Never before has the region had to face such a complex
‘Land’ agenda with unique risks, unique opportunities,
and therefore unique challenges.
• The post 2015-Agenda for guiding a Land Governance Initiative for the
ARAB Region
• Operational Guides such as VGGT, LGAF, LPI, Civil Society Forum, GLTN
• Guides for conflict sensitive land matters (UNHCR, HABITAT, IOM,
OHCHR, Pinheiro Principles)
• New innovative Land Projects ready for scaling up and for cross-scaling
Together, the multiple international processes combined with national and local
initiatives have potential to address the complex roots that underpin today’s
Land Governance problems and stagnation in the Arab region.
What were the most promising strategic elements for
closing the land governance gap in the Arab region?
Building an enabling infrastructure for the ARAB Land Governance
Initiatives by :
Establishing the Arab Land Competence Center and Network
 The Center and Network is trusted by governments, but not government owned
 Service orientation and provision in Arabic/ English / French
 Comprehensive Capacity Development Strategy
 Training of local/regional trainers as multipliers
 Knowledge Management Network
 Fostering a new Knowledge-Sharing and Learning Culture
 Values: Building trust between Citizens and Institutions and enhance performance
 Adding value and impact to ‘land’ projects
The way forward for the
ARAB Land Competence Center and Network
Operation
• The strongest pull factor is expression of stakeholder’s demand and interest
• Expert group meeting (or land conference) in the Arab region for framing
• Supported by an Alliance of local, national and international partners
• Promotion of an Arab Land Professional Association?
• Promoting the network of interested educational and research institutions,
of civil society initiatives, private sector and professional associations
• Establish an inter-diciplinary MSc programme for Arab Land Professionals
Besides commonly known curricula, a new profile of LAND
professionals (practitioners, lecturers, researchers) is required who
understand the complexity and dimensions dealing with land matters
Political
Institu
tional
Technologi
cal
LAND
Legal
Social
Economics
Cultural
Environmental
Land Land and
Governance: Conflict
5 themes Displacement,
3 pillors :
Enabling
Infrastructure
Capacity
Development
Curricula,
Research,
Scholarship,
learning
material
Knowledge
Management
Multi-lingual,
reaching out,
demand-focus
Strategic
Services
MoU‘s, M&E,
Project Services
Modernising
Land Admin
Service delivery,
migration,
Transparency,
return (Syria,
Regularisation
Iraq, Libya,
of state land,
Yemen, Pal.)
Land market
HLP / Pinheiro Land valuation
Gaps in Land
Law and
Policies
Land in
Climate
Change
Soft Land
Governance
Components
Informal LT,
Access to land
Gendered land
rights,Common
property
Land /water
tenure, LDN,
Pastoral rights
Urban and
rural risk mgt.
Geospatial data,
Building trust,
Role of
stakeholders,
Corruption fight
The powerful Combination of
Capacity and Connectivity
leading to a new culture of Knowledge Sharing and Learning
Thank you for your attention
Looking forward to a lively discussion