ABOUT US 

The Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) is dynamic and multisectoral alliance of international partners committed to increasing access to land and tenure security for all, with a particular focus on the poor, women and youth. The Network’s partners include international rural and urban civil society organizations, research and training institutions, bilateral and multilateral organizations, and international professional bodies. 

 

What we do 

GLTN was established in 2006 to address issues of secure land and property rights. We develop, disseminate and implement pro-poor and gender-responsive Land Tools. These tools and approaches contribute to land reform, good land governance, inclusive land administration, sustainable land management, and functional land sector coordination.

Our core values

 The prioritized core values for GTLN Strategy 2018-2030 are: 

  1. Social justice and equity 
  2. Strength in diversity 
  3. Reciprocity 
  4. Transparency 

The operational principles that have long underpinned GLTN are: 

  1. Pro-poor 
  2. Equitable 
  3. Gender-responsive 
  4. Affordable Sustainable Systematically scaleable     

Why we do it 

Secure land tenure and property rights are fundamental to accessing adequate housing, food security and livelihoods. Land tenure security is crucial for the realization of human rights, poverty reduction, economic prosperity and sustainable development leading to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda and other regional and country level policy initiatives.

OUR LAND AND TENURE SECURITY APPROACH

 Approaches to land and tenure security must take into consideration the complexities of people’s customs and culture, gender, life stage course, administrative, and development contexts. We advocate for land tenure that best suits the social, cultural and economic needs of local communities along with the needs of responsible land administration authorities.

Partnership and collaboration

We believe in the power of collaboration and value partnerships and collaboration as a fundamental way of undertaking our work. The collective inputs of different stakeholders and institutions engender change and develop inclusionary approaches. When all key voices and perspectives are heard, these approaches generate innovative solutions that sustainably deliver change for those who most need it. Sustainable worldwide change in the way land is managed in countries and communities cannot be achieved by individual organizations, no matter how powerful and well-funded. Access to land and tenure security for all, including the poor and women, requires the aligned and well-coordinated action of all land actors. Our Network of the civil society, professional institutions, research and training organizations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, governments and the private sector address this requirement. More information on the organizations that are part of GLTN

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Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration

We understand that land is handled differently in different places and contexts so there needs to be an adaptive element within this inclusive framework. In other words, approaches must be “fit for purpose”.  In most developing countries, conventional land titling approaches have largely failed to deliver their expected results. Existing technical solutions are either too expensive, are inappropriate for the different types of land tenure in developing countries, are financially unsustainable, require a high level of technical capacity, or are largely unavailable. The Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration Approach was developed in response to such challenges. It proposes to re-focus land administration to meet the needs of people and their relationship to land,while sustainably managing land-use and natural resources. The Approach promotes the use of flexible and pragmatic approaches that are affordable easy to establish and maintain, that are built on existing available technical, financial and human capacities, rather than responding to rigid, high-end requirements.

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The Continuum of Land Rights Approach 

Our approach to inclusive, good land governance is based on the Continuum of Land Rights Approach to tenure security. The Continuum of Land Rights is a concept or metaphor for understanding and administering the rich complexity of land rights on the ground. It is estimated that the conventional land governance systems in many developing countries covers only about 30% of land. This reaches small proportion of the population and does not respond to the majority needs. There exists a broad range of land rights, such as individual, informal, customary, or group rights, that can be recognized, strengthened and used to improve access to land and tenure security. Recognition of this important reality is at the heart of our work.

GLTN’S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

GLTN Partners represent diverse sector groups, share in the core values of the Network and contribute to the achievement of the GLTN agenda and objectives. The Network sits within a broader land ecosystem that includes individual members, implementing partners, the GLTN Secretariat as well as development partners. GLTN Partners are grouped into clusters based on the nature of their organization. There are currently four clusters:

  • International Professional Bodies 
  • International Training and Research Institutions 
  • International Rural Civil Society Organizations 
  • International Urban Civil Society Organizations. 
  • More information on GLTN partners 

The GLTN Secretariat is hosted by UN-Habitat and it is based in the Land and GLTN Unit at the UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the programme and over-all Network coordination. 

The Individual Members of GLTN are those individuals who registered on the GLTN website and join GLTN to be affiliated with the Network and receive GLTN updates and information, join e-forums and web discussions when available, access e-libraries and participate in the open section of the bi-enniel GLTN Partners Meeting. Become a GLTN member! [link] 

As part of ensuring a vibrant and effective Network, the organizational arrangements of the Global Land Tool Network were reviewed in 2018 and a new set of arrangements developed in response to partners feedback. The Network now has an inclusive Steering Committee comprising partners represented by the dual leaders of the 4 main clusters, development partners, and supported by the GLTN Secretariat. The Steering Committee is Chaired by the Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Mr Michal Mlynar and the Vice-Chair is Ms Mino Ramaroson of the Huairou Commission. 

Two individuals representatives from different organizations within each of the clusters groups are nominated as the Partner Representatives to the GLTN Steering Committee. These representatives are also the cluster co-leads. 

The current Partner representatives and cluster co-leads on the GLTN Steering Committee are: 

  • The Rural International Civil Society Organizations Cluster: Mino Ramaroson from Huairou Commission and Mr Don Marquez, ANGOC 
  • The Urban International Civil Society Organizations Cluster: Rebecca Ochong, Habitat for Humanity International and Ms Sarah Nandudu, Slum Dwellers International. 
  • The International Research and Training Institutions Cluster: Siraj Sait from the University of East London (UEL) and Uchendu Eugene Chigbu* (NUST) 
  • The International Professional Bodies Cluster: Diane Dumashie from the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and Rafic Khouri, Arab Union of Surveyors. GLTN PHASE 4: 2024-2027 

 

GLTN programme has so far had three cycles: Phase 1 (2006–2011), Phase 2 (2012–2018) and Phase 3 (2019-2023). GLTN Phase 4 programme (2024-2027) proposes changes in objectives and implementation modalities in all four outcome areas and recognizes network coordination as an outcome area. 

Outcome 1 on ‘Accelerated reforms of the land sector at global, regional and national levels’ will consider the number of countries with ongoing national land reform processes, supported by GLTN partners and the number of locations with interventions increasing security of tenure, by country. 

Outcome 4, ‘Enhanced knowledge creation, sharing and capacity development on land tenure security’ will monitor the number of new GLTN publications, by theme and publication type.

Outcome 2, ‘Institutionalized land tools for land tenure security at scale’ will look at the number of organizations implementing GLTN tools as well as the number of tenure right document or registration issued using GLTN tool and approaches, by gender and type of documentation. 

Outcome 5 on ‘Strengthened network coordination’ will consider the number of funding agreements to GLTN and the proportion of funding to GLTN for network coordination.

Outcome 3 on ‘Monitored land-related commitments and obligations by mobilizing international, regional and national partners’ will seek to increase the number of countries reporting on land governance and tenure security using globally agreed indicators and methodologies.