Benchmarking of Land Administration Systems

1. Benchmarking of Land Administration Systems Michael Milligan Economic Affairs Officer Brussels 4 December 2012

2. History of the UNECE Created in 1947 One of 5 regional commissions Original mission: To assist in the reconstruction and economic development of post-war Europe During cold war, important bridge between two blocks Since the end of the cold war: transition from centrally planned to market economies institution building & other technical assistance facilitates economic integration

3. 56 member States

4. Housing and Land Management unit • Facilitates dialogue between governments for sharing practices, giving advice, and developing policy guidelines • The Committee on Housing and Land Management is an intergovernmental body which sets policies related to housing, land administration, and land management

5. Structure of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management

6. Current priorities of the CHLM • Country profiles on the housing sector • Improving urban environmental performance • Land registration and land markets • Housing modernization and management

7. The Working Party on Land Administration (WPLA) An intergovernmental body of member State land administration officials who • Identify methods to strengthen and modernize land administration systems • Promote sustainable land management projects • Collect and disseminates data on property rights and land

8. WPLA Workshops “Supporting global economic recovery: The role of land registration authorities”, London, UK, 10 to 13 October 2012 “Spatial information Informal development, property and housing”, Athens, Greece, 10 to 15 December 2012 “Land registration in Central Asia”, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 18 to 19 March 2012 “E-governance and land registration”, Uppsala, Sweden, 29 to 31 May 2013

9. WPLA and CHLM Publications Study on the Challenges of Fraud to Land Administration Institutions, 2011 Self-Made Cities, 2009 Guidance and Good Practice for the Application of Fees and Charges for Real Property Cadastre and Registration Services, 2009 Spatial Planning: Key Instrument for Development and Effective Governance, 2008 Land Administration in the UNECE Region, 2005 Country Profiles on the Housing Sector

10. WPLA Survey on the Benchmarking of Land Administration Systems • Comparative analysis of land administration, land registration and mapping systems in UNECE countries • Provide a benchmark to: improve public performance, provide framework for improvement and technological innovation, and plan change • Evaluate economic performance, stimulate innovation, improve registration systems and promote universal standards of good land administration

11. System of registration Coverage On-line availability and electronic access Status and security Taxes and charges Efficiency Fees Speed of registration Activity Complexity and automation Division of responsibilities WPLA Survey Topics

12. Highlights of the Survey • Questionnaire prepared by task force headed by delegate from Ireland • Issued to all 56 member states • 23 responses received, with more to come (we hope!) • Respondent countries:Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, England and Wales, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Sweden

13. Land Administration Trends in the UNECE region • From registration by civil courts to dedicated agencies • From partial coverage to full coverage • From registration without graphics to digital maps • From paper certificates to digital certificates • From manual to electronic registration • From inspection of register in the registration office to online inspection open to all • From registration of land only to registration of other real property and mortgages • From taxation of properties based on other data to taxation based on registry data

14. Next steps • To analyze and interpret the results of the survey • Obtain feedback from member States and land administration experts on the survey and ways it could be improved in the future • Obtain funding for the regular collection of land administration data • Create a publication based on the survey, with chapters on trends in land administration and the legal framework

15. Proposed publication • Presentation of the data • Analysis of patterns and trends • The legal framework in the EU and the UNECE region and its relation to the study • Publication to serve as a reference to countries in the UNECE region to assess their own land administration systems and identify priority areas for reform

16. Proposed future data collection • Project coordinator needed • UNECE has excellent data management and distribution system • Would provide basis for future publications and collaborations.

17. Michael.Milligan@unece.org • www.unece.org -> Housing and Land Management Thank you!