FIG Commission 7 - Cadastre and Land Management

Term 2003-2006

Highlights Commission Chair 2003-2006
Within a whole set of possible issues to be addressed, the work plan 2003-2006 focuses on the following priorities: Prof. Ir. Paul van der Molen, The Netherlands
  • land administration and land management in customary and informal areas
    • how to facilitate the implementation of land policy with a focus on customary areas
    • how to support the formalisation of informal settlements
  • land administration and land management in the marine environment
    • how to support marine cadastres
    • how to support coastal zone management
  • avoiding land fragmentation
    • how can we avoid land fragmentation through land consolidation -
  • institutional conditions as a critical success factor
    • which institutional context is beneficial for successful land administration and land management activity
  • efficiency and effectiveness
    • how can we measure land administration performance
  • costs of land administration systems
    • how can we provide low cost tools for land administration
  • appropriate ICT support for modern land administration and land management
    • how can we integrate advanced technology in land administration processes
    • how to establish land administration spatial data infrastructures
    • how to integrate 3D rights to land in land administration systems
    • how to extent cadastres towards the marine areas
    • electronic conveyancing
    • land administration standards
  • capacity building for land administration and land management
  • how can we contribute to capacity building and institutional building for land administration and land management

Implementation

According to the Work plan Commission 7 aims at addressing these issues in various activities, as there are:

  •  working groups - symposia and workshops
  • delivering lectures, papers and reports
  • providing a documentation center OICRF
  • the international office of cadastre and land records
  • internal cooperation with other FIG Commissions
  • external cooperation with other relevant organisations
  • mixed forms

Commission 7 put more effort in involving countries in Africa, Latin America, Middle East and Asia in exchanging information on the introduction and development of land administration systems and land management policies and in providing a meeting place.

The Commission held annual meetings in:

  • Pretoria, South Africa, 4-9 November 2002
  • Krakow, Poland, 17-23 September 2003
  • Clermont Ferrand, France, 8-14 September 2004
  • Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 19-25 June 2005
  • Bled, Slovenia, 12-16 May 2006
Work Plan

Terms of reference

Commission 7 deals with land administration ('the process of determining, recording, and disseminating information about the ownership, value and use of land when implementing land management policies', ref. UNECE Land Administration Guidelines 1996). 'Ownership' should be seen as a broad concept of land tenure within various jurisdictions (statutory, customary, informal etc.). 'Land' includes constructions at subsurface level, ground level and above land level (e.g. buildings). Furthermore Commission 7 deals with land management, that is the implementation of land policy, by a wide range of land policy instruments (e.g. land reform, land consolidation, land markets, land taxation, marine resource management etc.).

In 'key words' Commission 7 deals with

  • land tenure
  • institutional context of land
  • land law and land related laws
  • land related public administration
  • public and private roles in land administration
  • land registration and land recording
  • cadastres, land registers and cadastral maps
  • cadastral surveying and mapping
  • non parcel based land information systems
  • informal settlements and formalization processes
  • land related information management and business administration
  • re-engineering and cadastral reform
  • land policy and land policy instruments
  • land markets, land use planning, land taxation
  • land and marine resource management
  • land reform and land redistribution
  • land consolidation and urban land readjustment
  • access to land by women and vulnerable groups

Mission statement

Commission 7 aims at

  • providing a world wide forum for enhancing and exchanging the knowledge and understanding about land administration and land management
  • elaborating the role of land administration and land management for sustainable development
  • encouraging the development of appropriate concepts and tools for land administration and land management with regard to the specific institutional and operational context of developed and developing countries
  • promoting awareness concerning the role of surveyors in this field amongst stakeholders
  • encouraging knowledge, skills and capabilities of surveyors in this field
  • playing a leading role in advancing land administration and land management
 

Work Plan

 
     
Key Documents

 

Publications

 

Working Groups

Working Group 7.1 - Creating Land Administration in formal and informal environment

Policy Issues

The terms of reference of working group 7.1 on land administration in a formal and informal environment are as follows:

  • identify how land administration can accommodate formal and informal men-land relationships.
  • identify when customary rights and informal possession should be recorded/registered
  • identify land management requirements to land administration systems in a formal and informal environment, with a focus on land use.
  • contribute to access to land by women and vulnerable groups
  • develop recommendations
  • identify best practices
  • contribute to regional conferences

Chair

Mr. András Osskó
Hungary
E-mail: ossko.andras[at]fomi.hu

Working Group 7.2 - Instruments for land distribution

Policy Issues

The terms of reference of working group 7.2 are as follows.

  • identify the problem of land distribution
  • identify mechanisms to solve land fragmentation
  • identify mechanisms for land restitution and land redistribution
  • identify cheap and fast procedures
  • take into account the role of women and vulnerable groups
  • develop recommendations
  • identify best practices
  • organise 1 symposium on land fragmentation and land consolidation

Chair

Mr. Mikko Uimonen
Finland
E-mail: mikko.uimonen[at]nls.fi 

Working Group 7.3 - Advances in Modern Land Administration

Policy Issues

The terms of reference of working group 3 on modern land administration are as follows.

  • identify the impact of advanced technology on land administration systems
  • focus on electronic conveyancing and electronic submission of documents
  • electronic signatures
  • focus on internet as a distribution channel
  • focus on standards (ISO as applied to 'cadastres')
  • develop recommendations
  • identify best practices
  • organise 1 symposium on use of advanced technology

Chair

Dr. Winfred Hawerk
Germany
E-mail: winfried.hawerk[at]gmx.de