RICS brings global land measurement standards to World Bank gathering

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- RICS will use the influential platform at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington D.C. to canvass for further input on the ground-breaking International Land Measurement Standards (ILMS).

RICS is part of a coalition of more than 30 international not-for-profit organizations developing ILMS. ILMS is the first truly global benchmark for classifying, defining, measuring and reporting land information. Its goal is to improve the level of security of land tenure across the world and enable fair compensation during large-scale land acquisition.  

From March 19 - 24, RICS will join government, academic, NGO and private sector groups at the annual World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in the U.S. capital. The annual meeting is one of the largest gatherings of experts focused on issues of land. Last year more than 1,300 global representatives attended.  

Developing the first global land standard

Historically, levels of land ownership and tenure security vary enormously from country to country. Some countries do not currently have formal, embedded systems and up to 70% of land rights remain unregistered, according to the human settlements agency of the United Nations (UN), UN-Habitat. This means that even though there is ownership of a piece of land, the legitimate owner's 'rights' over that land are not recognized in a formal system of land administration.

"Land and its effective use is a keystone of economic and infrastructure development, which is why we've collaborated with other international professional bodies to develop global transparent benchmarks aimed at bringing security of land tenure to millions of citizens around the world," says James Kavanagh, RICS Global Land Standards Director. "Where land rights are not formally recorded or known, we see cases of misappropriation, restricted economic opportunities, land disputes and a range of other political, legal and financial risks. By coming together to deliver on a public service mandate, we aim to produce a standard consisting of high level principals with a real-life application at community level."

Kavanagh will be at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington, D.C. to seek input from various international stakeholders and land professionals. Land governance is a prominent feature of the UN's "Agenda 2030" and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also a pillar of UN-Habitat's New Urban Agenda ? a global framework on city planning and management to support sustainable urbanization.

For more information:

Amie Silverwood
Writer and Media Relations
RICS ? 120 Adelaide St. W., Suite 2202 
Toronto, ON M5H 1T1
p 437-990-4695 e [email protected] w rics.org

About RICS
RICS promotes and enforces the highest professional qualifications and standards in the valuation, development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. Our name promises the consistent delivery of standards - bringing confidence to markets and effecting positive change in the built and natural environments.

SOURCE RICS