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Sustainable Development and Security of Property Rights in the UNECE Region: An assessment of perceived tenure security for land and housing

Published:
cover front PRINDEX ENG

The WPLA, in cooperation with the Overseas Development Institute, United Kingdom (ODI); and Global Land Alliance, United States (GLA), produced the report “Sustainable Development and Security of Property Rights  in the UNECE Region: An assessment of perceived tenure security for land and housing”. This report uses data on perceived security of property rights for land and housing across the UNECE region to provide insights into how that security can be strengthened by government policy, further research and advocacy. The data draws on the world’s first globally comparable survey of perceived tenure security for land and property across 140 countries – Property Rights Index (Prindex) - which includes information on 50 (out of 56) UNECE member States collected in 2018-19. Unequal housing quality and access, informal land use and housing building, fragile or too rigid housing markets, restitution of property rights, and post-conflict rehabilitation are all addressed in this research. This data and its analysis offer a one-of-a-kind way to establish a common matrix for assessing the security of property rights. It also helps to demonstrate the effectiveness of land governance and property rights institutions as viewed through the eyes of citizens and helps government efforts in reaching their ultimate goals - the well-being of their citizens. The conclusions and recommendations of this report are very relevant to the work of the UNECE supporting governments in their efforts to achieve urban- and land-related Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda and the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing.