Food Safety, Land Reform, Agriculture, Rural Development

Arab Union of Surveyors (AUS) is the umbrella organization that represents the interests of the profession of Surveying in the following countries: Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia, Sultanate of Oman and Lebanon.

Founded in 2002, AUS seeks to improve and harmonize the profession of surveying in the Arab world and develop the cadastral systems for improving land management and real estate investment as an important part of the socio-economic development in the region.

AUS seeks to:

• Organize and improve the profession of surveying in all the Arab countries
• Participate in all scientific and professional studies in the field of Surveying and to work on making the practice of the profession science and technology-based
• Prepare evaluations and report on the profession in the region
• Support collaboration with the international federations and organizations such as FIG and CLGE.
• Share experiences among the Arab specialists on technical and professional challenges
• Establish and maintain a GIS database for the Arab region

Established in 1987 for the benefit of the public, the China Land Surveying and Planning Institute (CLSPI) is a comprehensive public institution under the Ministry of Natural Resources. Its main duty is to provide knowledge-based support for decision-making and technical guarantees for land and resource management. This promotes reform and innovation of sustainable land use and management and land science and technology.

CLSPI has a series of licensed Class A qualifications at national level, in Land Property Assessment, Land Use Planning and Surveying and Mapping. Additionally, the National Remote Sensing Center has set up its land branch in the institution while the Ministry of Natural Resources has formed a key laboratory for land use research also within the institution.

The institution’s talent pool is made up of 185 technical experts out of whom more than 80% are researchers and professional technicians. More than 50% have a master’s /doctor’s degree or advanced academic and professional titles While more than 25% have senior academic and professional titles.

The mission of the institution covers all areas of land management including surveying, monitoring, and evaluation of land and resources, land (territory) use planning, property rights and cadastral management, land market and land price monitoring, land remote sensing, land information engineering, land-related science and technology, land institutions and policies, technical standards formulation in land management. It also takes a leading role in conducting various cooperation and academic exchanges on land management and land science and technology in China and abroad.

Over the past 30 years since its establishment, CLSPI has completed over 2,000 research projects and technical tasks of various kinds with achievements covering all academic and professional fields of land management. Among them, over 200 achievements won awards and prizes at national and ministry (bureau) level for leading research and cutting-edge progress in land science and technology. The institution’s great contributions to academic research on land science and technology have enabled the cultivation of new disciplines on land and the development of a talent pool. It has the most authentic, comprehensive, authoritative and prime materials and data on land resources in China and has already formed a 400TB basic database for national land and resources.

Based on the thinking of “strengthening communication and embracing an open way of operation”, it sponsors the Chinese core academic journal titled China Land Science and operates the open website of land and resources data and urban land price monitoring data. In order to build an open and shared high-end innovation platform, it has established collaborative relations with 33 provincial-level surveying and planning institutes and more than 30 academic research agencies and universities nation-wide. Together with these partners, 12 scientific research bases and one research center have been jointly built in various locations in China, forming a research network on land policy research and innovation on land science and technology throughout China. In addition, it has conducted several research programs in cooperation with more than 30 national and international organizations like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNFAO, UNESCO and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

The institution has stepped up efforts for breakthrough development in major issues of land science and key technologies following the ideas of innovation, promotion, cooperation and development. It has also accomplished several state and ministry-level technical and engineering projects successfully, thus providing all-around support in policy making and scientific and technical service on land management.

In conclusion, CLSPI’s sound organizational structure and operational mechanism, abundance of talented and active researchers and professionals and a favorable software and hardware environment have laid a solid foundation for its continuous growth.

The Fédération des géomètres francophones (FGF), created in 2005 in Rabat, Morocco, brings together 27 surveyors’ organizations from French-speaking countries on three continents (Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean and Europe-Near East). The FGF has become the main French-speaking network of professionals and teachers working in the field of measurement of the Earth, its representation at all scales, the definition and estimation of properties, the development of the territory.

The goal of the FGF is to represent and promote the interests of its members in the public and private sectors, to promote fraternal exchanges and the mutual enrichment of knowledge, and to work towards greater participation and visibility of Francophone surveyors. in working groups and other major international events dealing with land issues. A member of the FGF is a country or geographical entity having an assimilated status and represented by an association or a group of national associations of surveyors. As of January 1, 2017, the countries and territories members of the FGF are Algeria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti , Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Niger, the province of Quebec, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, the Czech Republic, Romania, Senegal, Chad, Togo , Tunisia, as well as the Arab Union of Surveyors. Find here the detailed list of FGF members. The FGF is a member of the Network of Francophone Professionals Associations (RAPF) which depends on the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF).

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Kadaster International, The Netherlands’ Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency, collects and registers administrative and spatial data on property and the rights involved (including ships, aircraft and telecom networks) in order to protect legal certainty. Kadaster is a non-departmental public body, operating under the political responsibility of the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment.

Kadasteris responsible for national mapping and maintenance of the national reference coordinate system. This is besides being an advisory body for land-use issues and national spatial data infrastructures. Kadaster also contributes to the welfare and prosperity of those countries where land administration is still a relatively new issue.

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 The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) seeks to promote sustainable development in the member States through generation, application and dissemination of geo-information and allied ICT technologies, products and services.

Established in 1975 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), it was previously known as the Regional Centre for Services in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (RCSSMRS).

RCMRD seeks to:

• To develop and constantly update harmonized and standardized land resources and urban development digital data and information infrastructure for the region, based on demand;
• develop a regional early warning system for food security, environmental monitoring and disaster management using mainly satellite technology;
• In collaboration with member States, national institutions, undertake projects for creation of spatial information system suitable for development planning at national, regional and community levels;
• Coordinate the harmonization of the fragmented regional and African datum using accurate geodetic GPS techniques and research into the field of data processing methodologies;
• Develop capability and capacity in the maintenance of surveying and mapping equipment and offer advisory and maintenance services to the member States; and,

In collaboration with national and international institutions, undertake research and training in the application of geo-information in land resources and urban development mapping and assessment for sustainable development.

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The Norwegian Mapping Authority bears nationwide responsibility for geographical information, operates the national property registry and undertakes all property registration in Norway.

The Norwegian Mapping Authority collates, systemises, manages and communicates public geographical information. In practice, this means that the Norwegian Mapping Authority is responsible for and provides the following:

• National geodetic frame: the Norwegian Mapping Authority is responsible for the ratified framework on which mapping and measuring work in Norway is based.
• Positioning services: services for determining accurate, satellite-based positions.
• Digital maps: the Norwegian Mapping Authority produces and manages national digital map series (land maps and nautical charts).
• Printed maps: national map series (land maps and nautical charts) and publications (maritime).
• Land registry: property rights registration for fixed property and flats in cooperative housing.
• Property information: the Norwegian Mapping Authority operates the national registry for public property information (the New Cadastre and the land registry).
• Place names: administers the National Place Name Register.
• Standards: national standards for maps and geographical information.
• PRIMAR ENC Service: has operational responsibility for Primar, the international electronic navigational chart service.

The Norwegian Mapping Authority also plays an important role as the nationwide coordinator of geodata, which involves establishing and coordinating work with the national geographical infrastructure within Norway. This means working closely with municipalities and other public sector suppliers and users of geographical information via Norway Digital.

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African Institute for Strategic Research Governance and Development (AISRGD) established as a Non-Governmental Research Organization in 2007 is an independent not for profit research bureau based in Kampala, Uganda. The institute was created with the aim of contributing to an overarching vision in strategic policy-research, capacity-building and skills-training to engineer social and economic co-operation and integration in the Great Lakes region and Africa at large.

The objectives of AISRGD are to conduct research in social, economic and political policy areas, provision of effective capacity-building and skills-training, dissemination of research findings and advocacy for the strategic formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of pro-poor policies.

AISRGD has been involved in the documentation of processes, partnerships, field experiences and emerging results in the GLTN priority countries (Kenya and Uganda).

The Association of African Planning Schools (AAPS) is a voluntary, peer-to-peer network of over 50 urban and regional African institutions that educate and train urban/city and/or regional/rural planners. Established in 1999, AAPS facilitates the exchange of information among African planning schools and links African and international planning schools.

The network seeks to improve the quality and visibility of planning pedagogy, research and practice in Africa besides promoting planning education advocating ethical, sustainable, multicultural, gender-sensitive, and participatory planning practice.

AAPS specifically seeks to promote:

• Curriculum review and revision, to produce planning programmes that are contextually relevant and engaged with the needs of local communities.
• Collaborative and comparative research that emphasises the particular dynamics of local urban contexts.
• Shared comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing planners in Africa.
• Regional collaboration in progressive, pro-poor urban policy and planning responses.
• Resource sharing, capacity building and skills transfer.
• Liaison with professional planning institutes/associations on issues relating to curriculum development.

The Comite technique foncier-Developpement (CTFD) is a platform that discusses and debates rural and urban land issues in the Global South (Africa, Asia and Latin America). Established in 1996, the CFTD comprises professionals who are experts in varied disciplines (agronomy, law, economics, sociology, anthropology, political science), skill sets and professions (researcher, teacher, expert, community activist, development professionals) coming from the major research, training and land administration institutions in France.

CFTD supports the development and implementation of land policies that address land challenges such as access to land for all and land administration and management in the Global South. The CFTD meets under the tutelage of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). The platform also partners with a wide network of national and international actors in the land sector.

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The IASS Potsdam is an institution that gathers together all relevant forms of knowledge from science, society and politics in order to initiate and support a transformation towards sustainable development that is grounded in scientific research.

The purpose of the association is to promote science and research on global sustainability, particularly in the areas of climate change, the Earth system and sustainable development, to train young scientists, and further exchange and dialogue at the intersection of research, politics, civil society and the media.

Founded in 2009 as a registered association, IASS has several researchers from more than 30 different countries working on projects that span the humanities and the natural and social sciences. The researchers pursue interdisciplinary research using innovative methods to find new and actionable solutions to urgent global sustainability questions.

Cadasta Foundation was founded in 2014 with funding from Omidyar Network and UK Aid on the premise that communities can incrementally strengthen their land and resource rights by using cutting edge technology to efficiently document their use of and rights to  land and resources.  Documentation creates an evidence base and advocacy case for vulnerable communities’ claims to the land, making it less likely that communities will be displaced and, should the communities be displaced, support demands for compensation. Further, this documentation can be used by governments, private industry and civil society to create the basis of a digital land registration system, tracking system for sustainable produce, or analysis of services, both those supplied and those needed, to vulnerable communities.

Cadasta develops and promotes the use of simple digital tools and technology to help partners efficiently document, analyze, store, and share critical land and resource rights information. By creating an accessible digital record of land, housing and resource rights, Cadasta helps to empower individuals, organizations, communities, and governments with the information they need to make data-driven decisions and put vulnerable communities and their needs on the map. The Cadasta platform and suite of open source tools are build based on user needs and are currently in use in countries across the globe.

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The Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE) is a federation of independent professional societies representing surveying and land economy in Commonwealth countries.

Founded in 1969, CASTLE supports the establishment and development of professional bodies in its field, and to set standards for all specializations in surveying, including land and marine surveying, quantity surveying, estate management and land economy.

CASTLE supports Commonwealth countries to acquire the quantity and quality of indigenous skills in surveying, land administration and management required to carry out their social and economic development programmes.

CASTLE seeks to:

• Foster the development of the profession in all Commonwealth countries.
• Foster appropriate standards of education for surveying and land economy and the establishment of appropriate facilities for education and training.
• Help develop professional techniques and practices attuned to national needs.
• Facilitate the transfer of technology within the Commonwealth and assisting national programmes of continuing professional development designed to keep surveyors up-to-date.
• Encourage dialogue between its member societies and national governments on all matters of national policy on which the profession is competent to offer informed opinions and advice.

CASLE achieves these objectives through conferences and seminars, lecture tours, publications, manpower studies and direct advice to governments, universities, other educational bodies and its own member societies.

International Federation of Surveyors (FIG=Fédération Internationale des Géomètres : FR) is the global organization for the profession of surveying and related disciplines. It was established in 1878 and formed as a legal entity in 1999, FIG represents the interests of surveyors worldwide.

It is a federation of the national member associations and covers the whole range of professional fields within the global surveying community. It provides an international forum for discussion and development aiming to promote professional practice and standards.

FIG ensures that the disciplines of surveying and all who practise them meet the needs of the markets and communities that they serve.

The International Union of Notaries (UINL) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1948 to promote, co-ordinate and develop the duties and activities of Notaries throughout the world and ensure the standing and independence necessary for optimum service to individuals and society through close collaboration between Chambers of Notaries.

UINL seeks to promote study and standardization of notarial legislation; secure progress, stability and advancement of the Latin notarial system; contribute experience and advice to those practising law in the sphere of individual rights, whether commercial, family, inheritance or property matters; establish offices for international notarial exchange.

Through its innumerable activities, the Union has earned itself the reputation of privileged interlocutor of Governments and International Organisations for matters relating to notaries.
To this regard, by drawing inspiration from its Fundamental Principles, the Union draws up and submits concrete proposals to national Chambers of Notaries, national legislators and international and supranational organisations.

The Union is present in

• international organisations, such as the U.N., the Economic and Social Council of which has conferred to UINL the “special” category consultative status.
• international intergovernmental organisations, such as the Council of Europe, the International Institute for the unification of private law (UNIDROIT) and The Hague Conference on private international law;
• in supranational and regional organisations, such as
  – the European Union (EU) and its bodies, such as the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Communities;
  – the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the  Caribbean (ECLAC), the Andine Community, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),  in various international non-governmental organisations, such as the International Union of Lawyers (Union internationale des avocats UIA), the International Union of Judges (UIM), the International Law Association (ILA), the International Bar Association (IBA).

Formerly known as the Korea Cadastral Survey Corporation, Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation (aka LX Corporation) was renamed in June 2015 to fulfill its role as the national agency representing Korea in handling spatial information. The predecessor, established in 1977, was responsible for national cadastral surveys, protection of the property rights of the people, and effective management of the territory.

Besides the above, the LX Corporation is also in charge of public functions for the development of the spatial information sector. Its roles include the consolidation of the sector with the other industries and the popularization of information and communication technology services based on location and geospatial information. It extends its services and expertise at international level as well by providing professional and technical services on land administration, registration, geo-information and management.

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), is a non-profit non-governmental organization which seeks to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies and data.

Established in 2006, the foundation provides financial, organizational and legal support to the broader Free and open source geospatial community. OSGeo also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit.

The foundation pursues goals beyond software development, such as promoting more open access to government produced geospatial data and completely free geodata, such as that created and maintained by the OpenStreetMap project. Education and training are also addressed. Various committees within the foundation work on implementing strategies.

OSGeo also serves as an outreach and advocacy organization for the open source geospatial community, and provides a common forum and shared infrastructure for improving cross-project collaboration.

Specific goals of OSGeo are to:

• provide resources for foundation projects;
• foster the use of open source geospatial software;
• encourage interoperability with open and community standards;
• ensure interoperability between the foundation projects;
• encourage a high degree of quality and innovation in foundation projects;
• champion the use of open-source and community participation through the development of an open education curriculum
• enable communication and cooperation amongst OSGeo communities;
• champion community building through horizontal (local chapters) engagement and through vertical (sector specific) agreements with like-minded organizations;
• be a welcoming and inclusive worldwide organization at all levels;
• celebrate excellence, openness and service within the OSGeo community.

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The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a professional body that accredits professionals within the land, property and construction sectors worldwide.

RICS was founded in 1868 as the “Institution of Surveyors”, became “The Surveyors’ Institution” in 1881, was renamed the “Chartered Surveyors’ Institution” in 1930 before being granted the title ‘Royal’ to become the present-day  “Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors” in 1947.

Members holding RICS qualifications may use the following designations after their name: MRICS (Member), FRICS (Fellow), AssocRICS (Associate). Those with the designation MRICS or FRICS are also known as chartered surveyors.

Entry to membership of the RICS is via four main routes: academic; graduate; technical; and senior professional. The RICS has links with universities worldwide, with whom they have accredited approved courses which satisfy part of the qualification requirements to become trainee surveyors. The RICS also offers expedited routes to membership for qualified professional members of some partner associations.

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Aalborg University (AAU) is a Danish university established in 1974. AAU was founded under the name of Aalborg University Center (AUC) as a result of a series of mergers between a number of institutions, which made it possible to create a single university with several faculties. It changed its name to Aalborg University in 1994.

Although AAU is a young university in Denmark with its 40 years of history, the university has some even greater roots such as the Master of Science programme in Surveying and Mapping Programme, which is the oldest education at Aalborg University, originally created in 1768. The Surveying and Mapping programme still exists at Aalborg University and is offered both in Aalborg and at the university’s department in Copenhagen.

Established in 1980, the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) has grown to encompass more than 650 member cities across 22 Arab countries.

As a regional non-governmental, non-for-profit organization, AUDI serves as an advisory institution concerned with the work aspects of Arab municipalities. Committed toward supporting municipalities and cities in the Arab region, AUDI actively addresses the urban development challenges facing municipalities through providing impactful policy research, training programs and through instigating a culture of collaboration and collective learning.

AUDI stands as a player in the urban development domain through enhancing the knowledge sharing and facilitation between cities, municipalities, universities, and regional and international organizations.

AUDI is in the International Training/Research Institutions cluster.

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The Centre for Land Tenure Studies (CLTS) was established in 2011 at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) to further the study of land tenure – a broad and complex field of study cutting across many disciplines.

The CLTS seeks to:

• enhance collaboration across departments at NMBU;
• strengthen the visibility of NMBU activities within the field of land tenure;
• strengthen NMBU’s international collaboration and networks within the field;
• contribute to research and knowledge generation on land tenure issues;
• help build capacity in the South and in Norway within the field;
• disseminate policy lessons; and
• contribute to policy debates.

The Eastern Africa Land Administration Network (EALAN) is a platform where partners with an interest in land administration education and training and research in the Eastern Africa region come to exchange ideas, plans and country experiences for the betterment of the profession.

EALAN does this through promoting collaboration with mainly academic partners.

EALAN membership  includes the following:

1. Kenya Polytechnic University-Kenya
2. Ardhi University-Tanzania
3. Bahir Dar University-Ethiopia
4. Makerere University-Uganda
5. INES-Ruhengeri- Rwanda
6. National University of Rwanda
7. The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), Nairobi, Kenya
8. University of Juba , South
9. University of Burundi

EALAN has also established partnerships with several institutions outside the region such as the United Nations University’s School for Land Administration Studies at ITC (which was established as an association between the Faculty ITC of the University of Twente and the Netherlands Kadaster) and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden.