CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Trevor L. Benn has highlighted the importance of all countries being included and considered on the issue of effective land management.

On Friday, via the virtual meeting, Benn addressed the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) Expert Group on Land Administration as Co-Chair of the group.

There are 24 other countries including China, India, Norway, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Sweden, who are also members of the group. They discussed a global framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA) and the group’s work plan for 2019-2021.

In opening remarks, Benn said that he was particularly pleased that the group is taking into consideration the needs of developing countries in a period when the focus is on ensuring that no one is left behind.

He reminded the group that during the ninth session, the Committee of Experts had requested the Expert Group to make use of appropriate, globally accepted concepts and approaches. This includes the utilisation of existing guidelines, best practices and standards, to effectively link people to land, record, document and to reorganise relationships between people and land in all forms.

“We have been able to work closely with our members in the Expert Group in developing a very robust and comprehensive document in the Framework for Effective Land Administration,” Benn told the group, adding:
“We are particularly excited about the potential uses of this framework document, which has benefitted from consultation with various country representatives. In excess of 60 submissions and approximately 300 comments from 60 countries has helped us to strengthen the FELA document.”

In his remarks, Benn also said that he is pleased with the work of the UN-GGIM and thanked the team, especially the UN-GGIM Secretariat, for the hard work and ultimately the imminent success of the Expert Group. He pledged Guyana’s continued support and commitment in advancing the established objectives.