In progress at UNHQ

DEV/2104

MEETING OF EXPERTS ON CADASTRE CONCLUDES IN BOGOR, INDONESIA

22 March 1996


Press Release
DEV/2104


MEETING OF EXPERTS ON CADASTRE CONCLUDES IN BOGOR, INDONESIA

19960322 NEW YORK, 22 March (DDSMS) -- A successful cadastral system requires that three main processes of adjudication of land rights, land transfer and mutation (subdivision or consolidation) are undertaken efficiently, securely and at affordable cost and speed, in support of an efficient and effective land market, international experts said today at the conclusion of their five- day meeting in Bogor, Indonesia. The Bogor declaration adopted by the meeting also summarized the experts' findings and identified some key solutions, which they said should be reported to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) (Istanbul, 1996).

The cadastre, as an institutional and legal framework for stimulating economic and social development in both rural and urban areas, and for ensuring effective administration and planning in the public sector, is a collection of cartographic and descriptive documents that defines the use, ownership and boundaries of land.

The meeting, which brought together 25 experts from Australia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom and Viet Nam, considered human resources development, technical and financial resources implications in the field of cadastre, and elaborated a number of recommendations to national governments, non-governmental organizations and the United Nations system.

The meeting developed a document setting out the desirable requirements and options for cadastral systems of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. It recognized that while needs differed, similarities existed between countries at similar stages of development. As such, the meeting primarily examined the requirements of several groups of countries: newly industrialized countries, countries at an early stage of economic transition, the western developed countries, Eastern and Central European countries moving towards market economies, and the African States.

Recommendations addressed to the United Nations concerned assistance in organizing interregional and regional forums of cadastral administrations; production of guidelines to assist national governments in evaluating support for cadastral projects; support of workshops on forms and ranges of land rights and responsibilities and obligations; support of establishment of land administration institutions to address the education and training needs of management of cadastral and related professionals; and reporting the findings of the meeting to Habitat II.

- 2 - Press Release DEV/2104 22 March 1996

The meeting was jointly organized by the United Nations, the Indonesian Ministry of Agrarian Affairs/National Land Agency and National Coordination Agency for Surveying and Mapping, with the assistance of the International Federation of Surveyors and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). It was officially opened on Monday, 18 March, by Soni Harsono, Minister for Agrarian Affairs and Head of the National Land Agency. The technical aspects of the meeting were developed jointly by the United Nations and the International Federation of Surveyors. The facilities and the technical support for the meeting was provided by the National Coordination and Agency for Surveying and Mapping and by the National Land Agency.

The Department for Development Support and Management Services, within its mandate, will continue to assist governments in institutional and capacity-building, and cross-sectoral relationship in surveying, mapping and cadastral survey services. The meeting was held in response to the problems of environmental protection and land management identified in "Agenda 21", adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio, 1992) and in the draft global plan of action for Habitat II.

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For information media. Not an official record.