Norwegian Mapping Authority renews commitment to the partnership with UN-Habitat and GLTN under the new Strategic Plan 2020-2023
The Norwegian Mapping Authority (Kartverket) has once again reiterated its commitment to a stronger working partnership with UN-Habitat to promote effective land administration that leads to better tenure security and contributes to smart and resilient societies. This pledge was made by Anne Cathrine Frøstrup, Director-General Kartverket when she hosted Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director UN-Habitat to a luncheon in her honour in Oslo, Norway on 5 September 2019. Speaking during the meeting, Ms. Frøstrup noted that a majority of the global population lacked any legally recognised evidence of right to the land they lived on or used for production and that securing their rights to this land would radically improve how the poor invest and improve their housing conditions. “The Norwegian Mapping Authority has been collaborating with UN-Habitat through the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) for many years. ‘’We consider GLTN as an important alliance of global regional and national partners contributing to improved land management and security of tenure.” said Ms. Frøstrup. The Executive Director UN-Habitat made a presentation on the role that land and property plays in the promotion of sustainable urban development. Ms. Sharif sought to demonstrate the relevance of land in the New Urban Agenda showing the focus on tenure security, housing, land values and community development as key requirements for sustainable, inclusive and efficient cities. She also presented on how GLTN land tools were being implemented in 13 countries across the world to address land tenure security through supporting policy, land administration and capacity development. Also present at the meeting was Lars Jacob Hiim, State Secretary of Norway and Diana Huynh, Board Member of Habitat Norway. Mr. Hiim congratulated Ms. Sharif for having contributed to a renewed trust among member states, particularly the larger donors after only one and a half years in office, and expressed confidence that this would contribute to more predictable funding for the agency. He also highlighted the new Strategic Plan as an impressive result of her efforts pointing out that UN-Habitat’s vision of ‘a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world’ was bold and ambitious and it would challenge the stakeholders to enhance international and national efforts geared towards addressing the challenges of urbanisation. Ms. Huynh expressed her appreciation to the various partners that had supported her organisation specifically highlighting UN-Habitat and expressing interest in the new UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2020-2023 given that the New Urban Agenda’s focus on the city for all - which includes the basic right to land, property and housing - continues to be at the centre of their work. As a partner and a member of the GLTN steering committee on strategic and technical issues with regards to programme implementation, the Norwegian Mapping Authority through this interaction at the highest levels possible clearly confirmed their commitment to working with UN-Habitat and GLTN in addressing land and property issues for the promotion of sustainable urban development Link to presentation and speeches:
