1 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Housing and Land Management and its Working Party on Land Administration: Experiences with Land Management Presentation by Mr. Marco Keiner, Director Environment, Housing and Land Management Division

2 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 information Two country specific studies: The country profile on the housing sector The land administration review Challenges: Sustainable land administration and use Access to land and security of tenure Improved spatial planning policies Better urban environmental performance Strengthening social cohesion in cities

3 Land Management and Spatial Planning Challenges: Urban sprawl Informal settlements 50 million people in the region (in over 15 countries) live in informal settlements Self-made cities

4 Land Management and Spatial Planning Policy Implications: Legalization Regularization and upgrading Resettlement and reallocation programs Regulatory frameworks facilitating access to housing assets: Efficient cadastre and registration systems Affordable credit Andy Fotolia Gerhard Fotolia

5 Land Management and Spatial Planning UNECE Work In-depth analysis Land – considered as a basic human asset, a key factor in addressing unequal wealth redistribution Land policies that create opportunities for low-income groups Mark Fotolia

6 Land Administration The most technically advanced and institutionally innovative region Mapping, cadastre and registration systems are becoming integrated under the aegis of one administrative unit Challenges: Countries in transition Fotolia

7 Land Administration Policy implications: Reducing transaction costs Digital technologies Facilitation of market exchanges for real estate Enhancement of the long-term stability of land registration Fotolia

8 Land Administration UNECE 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

9 Real Estate Markets Challenges: The current world economic crisis An obvious need for improved regulation of both the real estate and financial markets

10 Real Estate Markets Policy implications: Efficient housing markets require a solid legal system securing property rights Increased regulation in transition countries, as well as the more advanced ones Izaokas Fotolia

11 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

12 Thank You for Your Attention! This presentation is available on United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Environment, Housing and Land Management Division Marco Keiner, Director Office 334, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10 Tel: +41(0) , Fax: +41(0)