GLTN to host an Expert Group Meeting on Land and Africa's Sustainable Urbanization at Habitat III Africa Regional Meeting

For Africa’s rapidly growing cities to be strategically guided for longer term sustainability, sound and comprehensive land policies that facilitate good land governance, enhance gender equality, promote decentralized land management and grassroots participation in addition to ensuring urban equity, efficiency and sustainability need to be put in place. It is within this context that the Land and GLTN Unit of UN-Habitat and LPI/AU will be hosting an Expert Group Meeting at the Habitat III Africa Regional Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria  on the 23rd February 2016 with the overall objective of strengthening key messaging on Africa’s land agenda within the context of sustainable urbanization.

The Habitat III Africa Regional Meeting, will be an opportunity for regional stakeholders to meet, discuss, and identify priorities for sustainable urban development in the coming decades. As with all Habitat III Thematic and Regional Meetings, the declaration resulting from the meeting will be included as an official input and contribution to the Habitat III preparatory process.

This is through joint action (Land and GLTN Unit of UN-Habitat and LPI/AU) for advocacy for a stronger position on the role of land in the process of sustainable urban development in Africa by articulating, discussing and recommending the direction of development response to sustainable urbanization through the land lens.

The overall objective of EGM is to strengthen key messaging around Africa’s land agenda within the context of sustainable urbanization. The identification critical issues and priority action areas for advancing Africa’s land agenda within the context of sustainable urbanization; strategies and pathways for strengthening messaging and advocacy on role of land in the process of sustainable urban development in Africa; development of action oriented recommendations for strengthening the land dimension in the new urban agenda are the identified specific objectives of this EGM.

During the EGM, about 20 renowned thinkers and leaders in Africa’s urban land management issues will come together with other key land stakeholders representing various institutions and organizations partnering with the Land and GLTN Unit of UN-Habitat and the LPI/AU. In selecting the participants, the criteria of geographical balance will be taken into consideration including involving African Ministries of Urban Development to champion the agenda on land.

For more information on the EGM, you can download the Concept Note here.