The UNECE and Informal Settlements Michael Milligan Economic Affairs Officer Athens 13 December 2012 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 Economic integration 56 member States Focus of the UNECE Is unique ECE housing issues, many linked to transition Results of mass privatisation in the 1990s of now sub-standard housing Development of institutions and expertise to support property rights where such rights did not exist 20 years ago Retrofitting of large volumes of poorly insulated, temperate climate housing 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 Structure of the UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management Current priorities of the CHLM Country profiles on the housing sector Improving urban environmental performance Land registration and land markets Housing modernization and management 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 WPLA Workshops Supporting global economic recovery: The role of land registration authorities, London, UK, October 2012 Informal development, property and housing, Athens, Greece, December 2012 Land registration in Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, March 2012 E-governance and land registration, Uppsala, Sweden, May 2013 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 The Importance of Property Rights Secure land tenure and property rights are fundamental to shelter and livelihoods and a cornerstone for the realisation of human rights and for poverty reduction. UN-HABITAT No nation can have a strong market economy without adequate participation in an information framework that records ownership of property and other economic information. Hernando de Soto Informal Settlements A problem in more than 20 countries in the UNECE region, affecting more than 50 million people, from: Rabid urbanization and rural to urban migration Unrealistic or insufficient planning and inefficient land administration Wars and natural disasters Poverty and a lack of low-cost housing Addressing issues of Housing policy Social inequality Employment and human capital Migration Environmental sustainability with programmes to encourage Legalization Regularization and upgrading The development of alternative housing systems Resettlement and reallocation that are based on National conditions Sound spatial planning, land management and housing policies Access to information A national strategy that supports marginalized communities and the poor -> Housing and Land Management Thank you !