16 April 2015: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on land administration and management that aims to balance space, cost and use in order to address growing competition for land ownership, reduced availability and declining land quality in the region.

In Europe, 75% of the population lives in cities, and land is under pressure from the expansion of urban areas as well as demand for agricultural space and ecosystem protection.

The agreement aims to improve land use and management by strengthening land governance, building public sector land management capacity, and balancing production demands on land. It will also encourage greater information and knowledge sharing. All stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector, are expected to play a role. UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach said that the agreement formalizes the already strong cooperation between the UNECE and FAO on developing national capacities on land administration and management.

The agreement will also support implementation of the ‘Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security.’ The Guidelines, endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in 2012, are the first comprehensive intergovernmental global instrument on tenure. FAO and UNECE, with others, are advising governments on how to integrate the Guidelines into ongoing land reforms. [UNECE Press Release] [UNECE-FAO Memorandum of Understanding] [Voluntary Guidelines Website]