Founder of LPN Global Calls for New Global Programme of Action on Land Tenure Security

Washington DC — A renewed global push is urgently needed to place land tenure security and housing, land and property (HLP) rights at the centre of international development, according to Dr. Jamal Browne, Founder of Land and Property Network Global (LPN Global).

Dr. Jamal Browne, Founder of Land and Property Network Global (LPN Global), calls for a global programme of action that reinforces land tenure security as a pillar of sustainable development. (Photo: LPN Global)

In an editorial published this week, Dr. Browne warned that the de-prioritization of tenure security by multilateral institutions and key development actors poses a significant threat to achieving critical targets across climate, gender, food security, and peace-building agendas.

He called for a new, coordinated global programme of action to address what he described as a “systemic neglect of a foundational development issue.”

“The de-prioritisation of this critical area of work by multilateral institutions and other key development actors is a clear sign of something deeper than mere lack of traction,” Dr. Browne wrote. “In the grand scheme of international development work, agenda items do not simply disappear without cause.”

The proposed programme of action would seek to unify governments, civil society, technical agencies, and donors around a shared vision of tenure security for all.

Dr. Browne outlined a three-part strategy covering improved communication to policymakers about the meaning and relevance of tenure security, rigorous use of data and evidence to justify investment, and the design of government-led action frameworks supported by development partners.

Global estimates suggest the scale of the challenge is significant. According to the World Bank, as much as 70 percent of land in developing countries remains undocumented or unregistered. In Sub-Saharan Africa, UN-Habitat’s Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) reports that more than 90 percent of rural land is held without formal recognition. Women, Indigenous communities, and displaced populations are among the most affected.

Dr. Browne emphasized that the proposed programme is not intended to displace existing global priorities but to enhance their effectiveness.

“The idea is to emphasize that the proposed programme of action is by no means an attempt to get in the way of progress on key development themes,” he stated. “Rather, it is to catalyze these efforts by addressing an issue that will otherwise undermine them.”

Analysts have long noted fragmentation in the global land governance landscape, where promising local and national initiatives lack the political momentum, financing, and global visibility needed to scale. Dr. Browne said a globally coordinated approach would allow land tenure reform efforts to move from isolation to impact.

“Our vision at Land and Property Network is to inspire and catalyse this process alongside those who view this ideal as both critical and achievable,” he wrote.

LPN Global is currently developing a draft roadmap for the proposed global programme of action. The roadmap is expected to undergo further refinement through extensive consultations with national governments, intergovernmental bodies including the United Nations, international civil society and grassroots organisations, academia and research institutions, and a wide cross-section of donors — thereby addressing growing concerns around global donor fatigue and fragmented engagement.

As Dr. Browne concluded, “What is needed now is not simply more conversation, but a clear path forward — and the collective will to walk it.”