16 April 2015, IISD news - The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and  Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) have signed a memorandum of  understanding (MoU) on land administration and management that aims to balance  space, cost and use in order to address growing competition for land ownership,  reduced availability and declining land quality in the region.

In Europe, 75% of the population lives in cities, and land is under pressure  from the expansion of urban areas as well as demand for agricultural space and  ecosystem protection.

The agreement aims to improve land use and management by strengthening land  governance, building public sector land management capacity, and balancing  production demands on land. It will also encourage greater information and  knowledge sharing. All stakeholders, including governments, international  organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector, are expected to  play a role. UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach said that the  agreement formalizes the already strong cooperation between the UNECE and FAO on  developing national capacities on land administration and management.

The agreement will also support implementation of the 'Voluntary Guidelines  on the Responsible Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of  National Food Security.' The Guidelines, endorsed by the Committee on World Food  Security in 2012, are the first comprehensive intergovernmental global  instrument on tenure. FAO and UNECE, with others, are advising governments on  how to integrate the Guidelines into ongoing land reforms.

Source:  http://nr.iisd.org/news/unece-fao-cooperate-to-support-land-governance-in-europe/