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United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeCommittee on Housing and Land Management and its

Working Party on Land Administration: Experiences with Land Management

Presentation by Mr. Marco Keiner,DirectorEnvironment, Housing and Land Management Division

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UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management and Its Working Party on Land Administration

The UNECE intergovernmental bodies have a mandate to compile, disseminate and exchange informationTwo country specific studies:

The country profile on the housing sectorThe land administration review

Challenges:Sustainable land administration and useAccess to land and security of tenureImproved spatial planning policiesBetter urban environmental performanceStrengthening social cohesion in cities

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Land Management and Spatial Planning

Challenges:Urban sprawlInformal settlements• 50 million people in the region (in over 15 countries) live in informal settlements

Self-made cities

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Land Management and Spatial Planning

Policy Implications:LegalizationRegularization and upgradingResettlement and reallocation programsRegulatory frameworks facilitating access to housing assets:• Efficient cadastre and registration systems

• Affordable credit Andy Dean @ FotoliaGerhard Seybert @ Fotolia

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Land Management and Spatial Planning

UNECE WorkIn-depth analysisLand – considered as a basic human asset, a key factor in addressing unequal wealth redistributionLand policies that create opportunities for low-income groups

Mark Dietrich @ Fotolia

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Land AdministrationThe most technically advanced and institutionally innovative regionMapping, cadastre and registration systems are becoming integrated under the aegis of one administrative unit Challenges:

Countries in transition

DWP @ Fotolia

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Land Administration

Policy implications:

Reducing transaction costsDigital technologies• Facilitation of market exchanges for real estate

• Enhancement of the long-term stability of land registration

Cornelius @ Fotolia

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Land AdministrationUNECE Work:

Organization of workshops• The use of electronic technologies to upgrade spatial data infrastructure

• Transparency in conveyancing

• Application of cost recovery mechanisms in cadastre and registration services

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Real Estate Markets

Challenges:The current world economic crisisAn obvious need for improved regulation of both the real estate and financial markets

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Real Estate MarketsPolicy implications:

Efficient housing markets require a solid legal system securing property rightsIncreased regulation in transition countries, as well as the more advanced ones

Izaokas Sapiro @ Fotolia

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Real Estate Markets

UNECE Work:Real Estate Market Advisory Group•Standards for increased informational transparency on real estate valuation

•Limitations on the use of complex financial tools

•Better capital risk allocation models•Policies and actions to sustain investors’ confidence and increase citizens’ trust

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Thank You for Your Attention!

This presentation is available on www.un.org/regionalcommissions

United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeEnvironment, Housing and Land Management Division Marco Keiner, DirectorOffice 334, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10Tel: +41(0)22 917 2370, Fax: +41(0)22 917 0107e-mail: marco.keiner@unece.orghttp://www.unece.org/hlm