News in 2016
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GLTN-FIG Expert Group Meeting on Valuation of Unregistered Land
15-16 September 2016, Cape Sounio, Greece
An expert group meeting was organised by FIG and UN-Habitat/GLTN
15-16 September 2016 in Greece. 25 experts in various fields within land
valuation, hereunder valuers - both academic and practitioners,
government representatives, lawyers, surveyors and other experts from
all over the world, worked over the two days on how to develop a usable
tool for the valuation of unregistered land based on a discussion
report. Land tools provide a resource for enabling action.
Consequently what are required are land tools that are affordable and
accessible for all sections of the population in countries around the
world.
The participants at the Expert Group Meeting
The EGM was attended by participants from 17 countries: Australia,
Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Ghana, Greece, Kenya, Mongolia,
Philippines, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, UK, Uganda and USA. The
meeting is a culmination of meetings and studies that recognized the
need to accommodate ‘the continuum of land rights’ in the valuation
process.
There is general consensus that about seventy percent of land
ownership units in developing countries are not formally registered and
the initiatives for land registration are not achieving the desired
results. In developed country, also a certain part of the land is not
registered. This adversely affects owners of unregistered lands and
properties, who in most cases are the disadvantaged groups and they
cannot access valuation services. Communities and individuals with
unregistered lands and properties are therefore unable to benefit from
economic activities and to climb on property ladder. Considering that
“Valuation is the heart of all economic activity. Everything we do as
individuals or as groups of individuals in business or as members of
society is influenced by the concept of value. ….” (Ring & Boykin),
economically that leaves them at a marked competitive disadvantage
against those with property. The Global Land Tool Network (GLTN)
is thus working to develop a tool for valuation of unregistered land and
properties that can benefit the vulnerable groups and support
operationalization of the continuum of land rights concept.
The development of the tool started in 2013 with a scoping study
undertaken by RICS, and was followed up with session discussions at FIG
Congress 2014, FIG Working Weeks 2015 and 2016. The report that was
presented and discussed at the expert group meeting will eventually
result in an operational guide.
At the meeting three working groups were formed: 1. Barriers & Issues,
2. Compensation versus Market Value and 3. Capacity and Implementation.
Barriers in practice are numerous from lack of market information to the
lack of valuers. Informal land valuation is complex but not impossible
and purpose is key. Large scale acquisition of informal land in
developing countries was agreed as a strong focus for the document. On
compensation version market value the outcome was primarily focussed on
underlining the difference between compensation and market value. The
two subjects should be separated in the document and it is important to
distinguish between the two terms. FIG Publication 54, Compulsory
Purchase and Compensation - Recommendations for Good Practice
elaborates on the compensation issue. Capacity and development of
regulated professional and technical valuation practitioners was
highlighted as a major issue. Valuation sharing and practice should
follow ‘fit for purpose’ criteria with thoughts on the development of a
technical “Para-valuer”. Adherence to international standards is key to
reducing risk and increasing confidence of communities and should be
ingrained within the technical training to help implementation of the
initiative.
Cyprian Selebalo, GLTN, welcoming the participants |
The meeting was held in Cape Sounio |
Group discussion |
Group discussion
|
Further meetings
In connection with the Expert Group Meeting FIG had also organised a
meeting for the Task Force on Property market on 17 September. They met
for one day to discuss the development of the Task Force and to make the
final preparations for the FIG/World Bank Workshop on Valuation in
Athens. Next years meeting will take place in Istanbul.
On 14 September FIG Council met for a 1½ day council meeting, and
finally on 18 September there was an open meeting organised by FIG Task
Force for Commission Structure. Read
report from this meeting.
Louise Friis-Hansen
20 September 2016
