A regional knowledge exchange event about the Role of CSOs in Land Governance in the Arab Region has successfully taken place from 20^th to 21^st December 2020 virtually through Zoom Meetings Platforms. The event brought together CSOs, Land Professionals and Academic, Private and Governmental entities to discuss and exchange their knowledge and perspectives on land and land registration, tenure security and Land governance to identify practical ways to strengthen CSO’s potential to participate actively in the fields of land and tenure security in the Arab region. Views and experiences from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Sudan, Algeria and Yemen were exchanged during the two-days gathering. The event was hosted by the International Youth Council – Yemen (IYCY) in partnership with GLTN and UN-Habitat as part of the work of the Arab Land Initiative.

Attended by more than 50 participants, the two-days event was structured in interactive discussions, including capacity development on land governance, sharing best practice on the role of Civil society on land governance in the Arab region and others Informative Sessions. Through interactive discussions, the participants discussed the role and the challenges that face the civil societies who operates in the land governance sector with focus on security of tenure and Land and Property rights, as well as the potential areas of collaboration between different organizations and their capacity and contribution to a better land governance in the Arab states.

The participants were also introduced about the UN-Habitat/ GLTN experience on land governance, the thematic work of the Arab Land initiative, land registration in the land registry, and the role of the real estate judge in protecting tenure security in legislation. Moreover, presentations from different partners in the Arab Land initiative took place evolving around thematic areas such as land & conflict, challenges facing women and marginalized people in land access, the methods of empowering women and marginalized people in land tenure security, and the use of open data tools like PRINDEX to report tenure insecurity by CSO’s in the Arab region.

The event was also an opportunity to bring representatives from the Yemeni Government such as the Ministry of Public Works for Housing and Urban Development Sector to discuss and learn further ways to improve land governance and land tenure security in the Arab region – mainly in Yemen – through collaboration between CSOs and Governments.

As a main outcome from the event, the International Youth Council – Yemen (IYCY) team led a discussion with the participants to agree on ways forward to increase the role of the Civil Society sector in land governance. Hence, IYCY introduces the idea of the creation of a regional network of expertise, Civil Society organizations, Professionals, Scientifics and Academic Institutions   on land governance in the Arab Region. The participants demonstrated great interest and engagement by providing their inputs to the vision and goals of the network and how it will work to promote good land governance across Arab countries. 

Therefore IYCY has launch a link for those interested to join the CSOs Land Governance Regional Network as follows:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeENYLd44q6P71olF-oKPR4YBgbgVxm...

and for more information about the CSOs Land Governance Regional Network Please do not hesitate to contact us on the following:

CSOs Land Governance Regional Network
International Youth Council-YEMEN (IYCY).
Amman St. Infornt of Ground of Embassy of Iraq
Sana'a – Republic of Yemen
Tel:      +9671207892
Email:  csos_landgoverance_network@iycy.org
Web: www.iycy.org