3 - 13 Dec 2024

UNCCD COP16

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1994 to protect and restore our land and ensure a safer, just, and more sustainable future.
The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union.
The Convention – based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization – is a multilateral commitment to mitigate the impact of land degradation, and protect our land so we can provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people.

9 - 11 Dec 2024

Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All

Nairobi, Kenya

UN-Habitat established the first universal forum on adequate housing. Context: Member States gathering at the United Nations Habitat Assembly, recognised critical elements needed for achieving universal access to adequate housing and made a resounding commitment to address urban poverty, homelessness, informality, and inadequate housing as outlined in the “Adequate Housing for All” resolution (UNHA Resolution 2/7).
The first session of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All will have tenure security on the agenda and possibly land use management.
Registration deadline is 29 November 2024 at 2:00 PM

18 - 20 Feb 2025

Third Arab Land Conference

Rabat, Morocco

This Conference is organized by the Ministry of National Territory and Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, UN-Habitat, and GLTN’s Arab Land Initiative, in partnership with the League of Arab States, UNESCWA, UNECA, the World Bank, BMZ, the Netherlands’ RVO, and Moroccan land sector stakeholders.

The conference seeks to advance good land governance for the achievement of social, economic, environmental and peace dividends in the Arab region. It aims at sharing knowledge on good practices and innovations, developing the capacities, and promoting collaboration and coordination among land stakeholders. It offers a platform to discuss country experiences, present new research, direct and inform investments and foster high level commitment to improve the land sector.

The hybrid conference will draw participation from ministerial and government delegations, land professionals, the civil society, academia, the private sector and international organisations with simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Arabic planned for all sessions.

The first conference was held in 2018 (Dubai/UAE) and the second conference in 2021 (Cairo/Egypt)

6 - 10 Apr 2025

FIG Working Week 2025

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Australia

FIG and Geospatial Council of Australia have the honour to invite you to the FIG Working Week 2025/Locate25 being held from 6-10 April 2025 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Australia.

Conference days: 7-9 April 2025
FIG General Assembly: 6 and 10 April 2025
Pre-events/tours: 4-5 April 2025

5 - 8 May 2025

World Bank Land Conference 2025

Washington DC, USA

Theme: ‘Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action: Moving from Awareness to Action.’

Building on the momentum from the 2024 Land Conference, which highlighted the land sector’s relevance to climate change, the 2025 World Bank Land Conference aims to move from awareness to action by highlighting effective strategies for securing land tenure and access and to scale up land sector initiatives, investments, and policy reforms in support of climate change mitigation and adaption.
In-person registration is now closed.
New EOIs for online attendance can be submitted. All new applications will go through a screening process, if your EOI is approved – you will receive a registration confirmation email.

28 May 2025

Webinar: Leveraging Religious Norms to Strengthen Women’s Land Rights: Lessons from Work in the Somali Cluster and Ethiopia

Virtual

There is strong recognition globally of the imperative for strengthening gender-equal rights to land, housing, property, territory, and natural resources.

However, women and girls often face distinct challenges to realizing their rights to land and natural resources due to strong patriarchal norms, often embedded within religious and cultural practices.
This webinar will:
1. Explore recent efforts to address the gender disparities in WLR that result from discriminatory religious norms;
2. Showcase approaches to engaging with religious leaders to strengthen WLR in line with religious traditions;
3. Engage participants in sharing perspectives on how to leverage religious norms to strengthen rather than hinder WLR; and
4. Seek to contribute to an understanding of good practices and potential next steps for leveraging religious norms to strengthen WLR.

Session in English, Arabic translation

29 - 30 May 2025

Resumed Second Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly

Nairobi, Kenya

UN-Habitat Assembly is a universal body composed of the 193 member states of the United Nations and convenes every four years (A/RES/73/239).

As the governance body of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Habitat Assembly convenes every four years. It is the highest global decision-making body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements.

The 193 UN Member States cast the votes, while participants include non-Member States, other UN bodies and specialized agencies, as well as intergovernmental organizations, civil society, private sector, academia and research institutions, women, youth and children, and grassroots organizations.

The resumed session will align the planning cycle of UN-Habitat with the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for the development of the United Nations system.

30 Jun - 3 Jul 2025

4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD)

Sevilla, Spain

This conference will address new and emerging issues, and the urgent need to fully implement the 2030 Agenda to support reform of the international financial architecture (IFAs). FfD4 will assess the progress made in the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, the Doha Declaration and the Addis Ababa Action agenda.

GLTN is exploring the opportunity to raise the profile of land and property as sources of revenue and means for wealth redistribution.

30 Jul - 1 Aug 2025

Joint AGRC and EALAN Conference 2025

Kampala, Uganda

Theme: Geo-Enablement for Sustainable Development: Harnessing Innovation in Geomatics and Land Administration

The Joint 8th Advances in Geomatics Research Conference (AGRC) and 14th Eastern Africa Land Administration Network (EALAN) Conference unites experts in Geomatics and Land Administration to facilitate the exchange of knowledge among academia, researchers, and practitioners. The conference highlights the importance of spatial data in tackling global challenges and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

For the first time, these two prestigious conferences will be held together, providing a unique opportunity for cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration.

Simon Peter Mwesigye, the Land Tenure Specialist with GLTN/UN-Habitat will deliver a keynote speech on ‘Uganda’s path to Land Tenure Security for All: Scaling-up Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration’

3 - 5 Nov 2025

FIG Joint Land Administration Conference

Florianópolis, Brazil

The FIG Joint Land Administration Conference which will take place 3-5 November 2025 in Florianópolis, Brazil integrates activities from the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and UN-Habitat, focusing on land administration, spatial planning, and territorial management.

With the theme ‘Integrated Land Administration for Climate Geo-Resilience and Sustainable Development’, the vent will be hybrid (in-person and remote) and all sessions will be held in a general plenary format and will have simultaneous translation into Portuguese, English and Spanish.

This event will foster collaboration between international experts and Brazilian stakeholders, contributing to advancements in land administration and spatial planning disciplines.