Strengthening Cooperation with UN-HABITAT and the Global Land Tool Network

Nairobi, Kenya, 30 March – 4 April 2009

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The flag alley entrance at the UN-HABITAT Headquarters in Nairobi.

FIG President Stig Enemark attended the 22nd session of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council Meeting in Nairobi 30 March - 3 April 2009 and the meeting of the International Advisory Board the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) 4 April 2009 at the UN-HABITAT Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The biennial Governing Council Meeting includes a number of plenary meetings discussing the overall UN-HABITAT agenda and setting the goals for future focus areas. In the opening statement 30 March, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, UN-HABITAT Executive Director addressed the global financial crisis and stated: “For the first time, two most salient global agendas – economic recovery and climate change – are inextricably linked with what was perceived until now as a national or local agenda, namely our very own Habitat agenda”. In response to these challenges UN-HABITAT has launched two new initiatives: the “World Urban Campaign” and the “Cities in Climate Change Initiative”. For more details see the full opening and closing speech at: www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6424&catid=14&typeid=8&subMenuId=0, and www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6501&catid=571&typeid=8&subMenuId=0

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Foyer cartoon poster showing the surveying activity for slum upgrading.

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Foyer cartoon poster showing the land registration process for slum upgrading.

The governing council meeting provides a unique opportunity to network with other NGO representatives and of course to meet with the GLTN staff and discuss about current future cooperation.

Also, a wide range of parallel events are organised to address the ongoing activities in key areas. Two of these events were of specific interest to FIG. Firstly the session entitled “Achieving land and housing for all” was chaired by Mohamed el Sioufi, UN-HABITAT Shelter Branch and provided an overall presentation of the UN-HABITAT land policies. Secondly the event “GLTN partnership on developing and testing gender evaluation criteria in large scale land tool assessment” organized by Asa Jonsson on behalf of the GLTN secretariat. This event included commentaries from the GLTN partners including a presentation from President Enemark showing the FIG commitment as delivered especially by the current chair of Com 8, Dr.  Diane Dumashie. The adopted gender evaluation criteria is available at http://www.gltn.net/en/home/gender/gender-evaluation-brochure/details.html.

Following the Governing Council meeting President Enemark also attended the meeting of the GLTN International Advisory Board (IAB) that is established to provide objective advice on issues related to the GLTN policies, operational strategies and projects. IAB consist of representatives of the various 7 segments of GLTN partners, where FIG represents the international professional bodies. The full advisory board is available at: www.gltn.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=63.

The meeting in Nairobi was the fourth of IAB while the third was held during the 4th World Urban Forum in Nanjing, 3-6 November 2008 and the second during the 6th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York 6-8 May 2008, see: www.fig.net/news/news_2008/csd_new_york_may_2008.htm. The key issues of the IAB meeting included a comprehensive evaluation the overall GLTN activities in 2008 as well as discussions on the future strategies. GLTN has been very successful in achieving their goals and the GLTN partners are very committed in their support. This will be further strengthened through a GLTN Partners Meeting to be held in Nairobi, 28-30 October 2009.

Finally, President Enemark also visited the Institution of Surveyors Kenya (ISK) to discuss with the Council and Chairman Mwenda Makathimo about the significant role of ISK in contributing to the National Land Policy Formulation Process.

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Visiting the Institution of Surveyors Kenya. Chairman Mwenda Makathimo in the centre.

 

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Meeting with the GLTN core staff. From Left: Danilo Antonio, Mariya Essajee, Remy Sietchiping, President Enemark, and Clarissa Augustinus, Chief of Land Tenure and Property Administration Section.

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