World Bank policy on land governance in support of the millennium development goals
Deininger, Klaus W. & Keith C. Bell
In any country, reform of land administration and management is a major investment of capital and human resources and requires strong and consistent leadership in order to achieve effective, sustainable outcomes. Such reforms require long-term commitment. Land and property are generally the major assets in any economy, and can often account for between half to three-quarters of national wealth. Land is a fundamental factor for agriculture production and is thus directly linked to food security. Land is one of the main sources of collateral, used to obtain credit from established financial institutions such as banks, as well as from informal providers of credit. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) commit the international community to an expanded vision for development, one that vigorously promotes human development as the key to sustaining social and economic progress in all countries, and recognizes the importance of creating a global partnership for development. The goals have been commonly accepted as a framework for measuring development progress with targets to be achieved by 2015. The many challenges to achieving the MDG, of particular relevance to the land sector, include poverty alleviation, food security, disasters, wars and conflicts, climate change, foreign direct investment (FDI) in land development through concessions and leases, responsible sustainable development, ensuring security of tenure and property rights, gender equity, human rights and social justice.
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