Global Land Tool Network

Global Land Tool Network
Name	Global Land Tool Network
Formation	2006
Founder	United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Type	International network
Headquarters	Nairobi
Location	Kenya
Region served	Global
Parent organization	United Nations Human Settlements Programme

Global Land Tool Network is an international alliance that promotes land rights, land governance, and pro-poor land tools through collaborative action among multilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and local authorities. It facilitates development of standardized instruments, capacity building, and policy advocacy to improve tenure security across urban and rural contexts, working with partners to implement pilot projects, scaleable methodologies, and normative guidance.

Overview

GLTN was established to address challenges in land tenure, land administration, and land management by leveraging partnerships among the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Bank, and regional development banks such as the African Development Bank. The network focuses on producing practical tools, training modules, and policy frameworks used by municipal authorities like the City of Nairobi, national ministries such as the Ministry of Lands (Kenya), and civil society groups including Slum Dwellers International and Landesa. GLTN engages with international frameworks such as the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure and the Sustainable Development Goals, while collaborating with research bodies like the International Land Coalition and universities including Makerere University and University College London.

History and Development

GLTN originated from consultations convened by UN-Habitat and partners following global discussions at forums like the World Urban Forum and meetings involving the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor. Early development saw contributions from development agencies including the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and technical inputs from institutions such as the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies. Pilot interventions drew on experience from programs implemented in countries affected by land reform and post-conflict reconstruction, including South Africa, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Colombia. GLTN’s evolution included integration of participatory mapping approaches used by Prindex and customary tenure considerations highlighted in studies by CIFOR.

Governance and Partnerships

GLTN is coordinated through a secretariat hosted by UN-Habitat in Nairobi and governed by a steering committee composed of representatives from UN agencies, donor governments such as Finland and Netherlands, international NGOs like Oxfam and CARE International, and academic partners. Strategic partnerships include bilateral cooperation with governments such as Kenya and Ethiopia, technical alliances with research institutes such as the International Institute for Environment and Development and International Food Policy Research Institute, and operational linkages with municipal networks including United Cities and Local Governments and Metropolis. Funding and governance draw on multilateral mechanisms involving the United Nations Development Programme and philanthropic organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Programs and Tools

GLTN develops and disseminates a portfolio of land tools and training curricula addressing topics like tenure security, gender-equitable land rights, fit-for-purpose land administration, and informal settlement upgrading. Signature instruments include gender evaluation criteria inspired by advocacy from UN Women and property rights protocols reflecting principles in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Tools incorporate participatory mapping techniques used by OpenStreetMap communities, continuum of land rights approaches from the Global Land Alliance, and pro-poor surveying methodologies similar to those promoted by the World Bank’s land programs. Capacity building is delivered through training partnerships with institutions such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Kadaster International.

Regional and Country Initiatives

GLTN’s initiatives have been implemented across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific through country projects in locations including Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, India, Nepal, Philippines, Peru, and Haiti. In Africa, collaborations with regional bodies like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States supported harmonization of land policy; in Asia, engagements with the Asian Development Bank and national ministries addressed urban tenure and disaster recovery; in Latin America, partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and national land registries promoted formalization pathways. GLTN has also coordinated with post-conflict reconstruction efforts involving entities like the United Nations Mission in Liberia and stabilization programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Impact and Criticism

Advocates credit GLTN with advancing inclusion of women’s land rights, improving municipal land information systems, and promoting scalable, low-cost surveying methods that influenced policy in countries such as Ethiopia and Rwanda. Evaluations by agencies including the World Bank and academic assessments from University of Cape Town note improvements in tenure clarity and community capacity. Criticisms have come from scholars and practitioners associated with Human Rights Watch and civil society networks who argue that standardized tools risk overlooking customary systems documented by researchers at CIFOR and BRAC; others caution about donor-driven priorities echoing concerns raised in analyses by Transparency International and the International Development Research Centre. Debates continue over balancing formalization with protection of informal tenure as reflected in dialogues at the World Urban Forum and policy discussions within UN-Habitat.

Category:International organizations Category:Land administration Category:United Nations programmes