ECE
Dear Madam Chair, distinguished delegates
In my presentation, I will focus on an issue where UNECE makes a difference and where
we have gained a broad varietty of experience: it is land management and land
administration.
In the ECE region, the most important challenges in relation to ?land? pertain to
? sustainable land administration and land use,
? access to land and security of tenure,
? improved spatial planning policies,
? better urban environmental performance
? and strengthening social cohesion in cities.
The Committee on Housing and Land Management and the Working Party on Land
Administration are the UNECE intergovernmental bodies that have a mandate to
compile, disseminate and exchange information and experiences on housing,
urban development and land administration policies.
Advice is produced through workshops, guidelines and other publications, including two
country specific studies, which are the country profile on the housing sector and
the land administration review.
Land Management and Spatial Planning
Challenge: Such issues as urban sprawl and the formation of informal settlements are
recurrent problems. For instance, in the region as a whole, 50 million people live in
informal settlements (in over 15 countries).
These people do not have adequate housing and often lack access to basic services such
as clean water, sanitation and heating. Recent cases addressed by the UNECE
encompass countries at all stages of development, from the novostroiki settlements in
the periphery of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to recent immigrant settlements of major urban
centers in industrialized countries such as Italy and Spain.
Policy implications: Solutions to existing illegal forms of housing and the prevention of new
un-planned settlements often involve a combination of
? legalization;
? regularization and upgrading
? and resettlement and reallocation programs.
Which combination of the three is applied depends on the specific context of the country
involved.
Solutions always imply to build regulatory frameworks to facilitate access to housing
assets in the form of efficient cadastre and registration systems and affordable
credit (such as micro-finance).
UNECE Work: UNECE has undertaken in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of informal
settlements and produced policy guidance for member states. Particularly important is
that land be considered as a basic human asset and a key factor in addressing
unequal wealth redistribution. Proactive land policies that create secure and
equitable land rights may create opportunities for low-income groups to build their
own wealth, increase economic stability and prevent social exclusion.
Land Administration
Challenge: In the UNECE region, technical and institutional innovations have been
implemented to improve efficiency and equity of land administration practices.
Recently, other regions have built on the experience of the ECE to promote sustainable
land administration practices elsewhere, including the creation of equivalent bodies to
the UNECE WPLA (as, for example, ESCAP in Asia and the Pacific, where a
proposal to create a similar body is at present being considered).
A trend can be identified in many ECE countries where mapping, cadastre and
registration systems are becoming integrated under the umbrella of one
administrative unit, although this remains a major challenge for countries in
transition.
Policy implications: Some countries have experienced the advantages linked to simplicity
and transparency of inexpensive registration procedures, that are reducing
transaction costs for individual customers. In the most economically advanced
countries, registration systems have been constantly modernized through the
introduction of digital technologies, achieving high degrees of complexity as a result
of improvements in the move towards e-government.
Electronic technologies could also facilitate market exchanges for real estate and
enhance the long-term stability of land registration.
UNECE Work: The UNECE WPLA promotes the exchange of knowledge and good
practice on the modernization of land administration systems through the organization
of workshops. Topics recently addressed include the use of electronic technologies
to upgrade spatial data infrastructure, the question of transparency in
conveyancing and the application of cost recovery mechanisms in cadastre and
registration services.
Real Estate Markets
Challenge: In the context of the current world economic crisis, improved land
administration implies a good understanding of regulatory institutions that underpin
the well-functioning of the economy.
There is an obvious need for improved regulation of both the real estate and financial
markets.
Policy implications: Efficient housing markets require a solid legal system securing
property rights as well as effective foreclosure procedures.
Further prerequisites include modern systems of banking supervision, safeguards for
creditors and anti-fraud mechanisms.
In transition countries, many of these instruments are deficient.
However, the current world financial crisis has shown that increased regulation is
also necessary in the more advanced countries.
UNECE work: The UNECE WPLA is currently addressing these issues through the
works of its Real Estate Market Advisory Group.
More specifically, the Advisory Group is preparing guidelines on the characteristics that
real estate markets and credit system should have, including the setting of standards
for increased informational transparency on real estate valuation, limitations on
the use of complex financial tools, better capital risk allocation models, and
policies and actions to sustain investors? confidence and increase citizens? trust.
In my presentation, I will focus on an issue where UNECE makes a difference and where
we have gained a broad varietty of experience: it is land management and land
administration.
In the ECE region, the most important challenges in relation to ?land? pertain to
? sustainable land administration and land use,
? access to land and security of tenure,
? improved spatial planning policies,
? better urban environmental performance
? and strengthening social cohesion in cities.
The Committee on Housing and Land Management and the Working Party on Land
Administration are the UNECE intergovernmental bodies that have a mandate to
compile, disseminate and exchange information and experiences on housing,
urban development and land administration policies.
Advice is produced through workshops, guidelines and other publications, including two
country specific studies, which are the country profile on the housing sector and
the land administration review.
Land Management and Spatial Planning
Challenge: Such issues as urban sprawl and the formation of informal settlements are
recurrent problems. For instance, in the region as a whole, 50 million people live in
informal settlements (in over 15 countries).
These people do not have adequate housing and often lack access to basic services such
as clean water, sanitation and heating. Recent cases addressed by the UNECE
encompass countries at all stages of development, from the novostroiki settlements in
the periphery of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to recent immigrant settlements of major urban
centers in industrialized countries such as Italy and Spain.
Policy implications: Solutions to existing illegal forms of housing and the prevention of new
un-planned settlements often involve a combination of
? legalization;
? regularization and upgrading
? and resettlement and reallocation programs.
Which combination of the three is applied depends on the specific context of the country
involved.
Solutions always imply to build regulatory frameworks to facilitate access to housing
assets in the form of efficient cadastre and registration systems and affordable
credit (such as micro-finance).
UNECE Work: UNECE has undertaken in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of informal
settlements and produced policy guidance for member states. Particularly important is
that land be considered as a basic human asset and a key factor in addressing
unequal wealth redistribution. Proactive land policies that create secure and
equitable land rights may create opportunities for low-income groups to build their
own wealth, increase economic stability and prevent social exclusion.
Land Administration
Challenge: In the UNECE region, technical and institutional innovations have been
implemented to improve efficiency and equity of land administration practices.
Recently, other regions have built on the experience of the ECE to promote sustainable
land administration practices elsewhere, including the creation of equivalent bodies to
the UNECE WPLA (as, for example, ESCAP in Asia and the Pacific, where a
proposal to create a similar body is at present being considered).
A trend can be identified in many ECE countries where mapping, cadastre and
registration systems are becoming integrated under the umbrella of one
administrative unit, although this remains a major challenge for countries in
transition.
Policy implications: Some countries have experienced the advantages linked to simplicity
and transparency of inexpensive registration procedures, that are reducing
transaction costs for individual customers. In the most economically advanced
countries, registration systems have been constantly modernized through the
introduction of digital technologies, achieving high degrees of complexity as a result
of improvements in the move towards e-government.
Electronic technologies could also facilitate market exchanges for real estate and
enhance the long-term stability of land registration.
UNECE Work: The UNECE WPLA promotes the exchange of knowledge and good
practice on the modernization of land administration systems through the organization
of workshops. Topics recently addressed include the use of electronic technologies
to upgrade spatial data infrastructure, the question of transparency in
conveyancing and the application of cost recovery mechanisms in cadastre and
registration services.
Real Estate Markets
Challenge: In the context of the current world economic crisis, improved land
administration implies a good understanding of regulatory institutions that underpin
the well-functioning of the economy.
There is an obvious need for improved regulation of both the real estate and financial
markets.
Policy implications: Efficient housing markets require a solid legal system securing
property rights as well as effective foreclosure procedures.
Further prerequisites include modern systems of banking supervision, safeguards for
creditors and anti-fraud mechanisms.
In transition countries, many of these instruments are deficient.
However, the current world financial crisis has shown that increased regulation is
also necessary in the more advanced countries.
UNECE work: The UNECE WPLA is currently addressing these issues through the
works of its Real Estate Market Advisory Group.
More specifically, the Advisory Group is preparing guidelines on the characteristics that
real estate markets and credit system should have, including the setting of standards
for increased informational transparency on real estate valuation, limitations on
the use of complex financial tools, better capital risk allocation models, and
policies and actions to sustain investors? confidence and increase citizens? trust.
Stakeholders