Arab Land Initiative

Informal settlements are home to vibrant communities, resilience, and everyday innovation, yet they also reflect some of the most urgent urban challenges.
At the World Urban Forum 13 (17–22 May 2026, Baku), Dialogue 2 will focus on transforming informal settlements and slums, and community voices are central to this conversation.

🎥 We are inviting you to submit short video messages reflecting experiences within an informal settlement.
What to record:
Record a short video of yourself, from head to waist, ensuring that the informal settlement is visible in the background, and answer the following two questions:

What is one positive thing about living in that neighbourhood? (10-15 sec)
What would you like to be improved in that neighbourhood? (10-15 sec)
(If possible, please record two separate short videos, one for each question.)
📝 Include in the video : your name, the name of the neighbourhood, the city, and the country

📤 Submit via WeTransfer to: [email protected]
Submission Deadline: Sunday, 12 April 2026
⚠️ Ensure consent from anyone appearing and avoid filming risky situations
Selected videos may be featured during WUF13 and related events and shared across UN-Habitat and WUF13 platforms.
📩 For more information: [email protected] with a copy to [email protected].

UN-HABITAT, Global Land Tool Network, Arab Land Initiative

NEW CASE STUDY ON LAND CONFLICT!
Land governance is essential for , and for displaced people. The new land and conflict case study on shows how over a decade of conflict, institutional breakdown and pre-existing weaknesses in have disrupted land use and fueled widespread , and property .
The findings highlight the urgent need for integrated reforms, better protection of rights and inclusive processes to support safe, voluntary and dignified and .
This case study is part of a series on in the , by the Arab Land Initiative of UN-HABITAT and Global Land Tool Network in partnership with العربية لحماية الطبيعة "APN" and the financial support of Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ).

Stay tuned for more!

📖 Read here: https://shorturl.at/9mQw9

📢 NEW CASE STUDY ON LAND CONFLICT!
🚨 Land governance is critical for and .
📖 Our new case study on shows how decades of war, political fragmentation, weak and the destruction of rural infrastructure have severely affected , and livelihoods. The findings highlight how conflict has accelerated land abandonment, displacement, and , underscoring the need to place land at the centre of peacebuilding and recovery efforts.

📚 This is the third of nine case studies on land and conflict in the Arab region, documented by the Arab Land Initiative of UN-HABITAT the Global Land Tool Network , in partnership with the العربية لحماية الطبيعة "APN" Stay tuned for more!

📖 Read here: https://shorturl.at/4RJ8V
Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)) Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland - RVO UN-HABITAT

In , unresolved claims, fragmented institutions, and decades of shifting policies continue to shape local .
This new case study shows how competing claims, unequal access to land and weakened governance have fueled longstanding tensions between the Zintan and Mashashya tribes. Tensions that intensified after 2011 amid displacement and the rise of armed groups.
Findings highlight the need for inclusive reforms that strengthen , address grievances, and enable safe and voluntary return for displaced communities.
This is the second of nine case studies on in the , documented by the Arab Land Initiative of UN-HABITAT and the Global Land Tool Network in partnership with the العربية لحماية الطبيعة "APN" Stay tuned for more!

📖 Read here: https://shorturl.at/LpLh5

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland - RVO ROAS Global Land Tool Network UN-HABITAT

NEW CASE STUDY ON LAND CONFLICT!
Land governance is critical for and . The new case study on ’s Souss-Massa region shows how weak , agricultural expansion under Plan Vert, commercialization of and have transformed long-standing coexistence into violent .

Findings highlight the urgent need for integrated reforms that balance agricultural development with pastoral mobility, safeguard communal and promote resource management.

This is the first of nine case studies on land and conflict in the Arab region, documented by the Arab Land Initiative of UN-HABITAT and the Global Land Tool Network, in partnership with (العربية لحماية الطبيعة "APN"
Stay tuned for more!
📖 Read here: https://shorturl.at/K29Fm
Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) Enterprise Agency (RVO) UN-HABITAT

⚠️ Only 5 days left!
Applications for the urban rental housing research project close on Friday 28 November 2025.
Is your organization ready to make an impact?
Apply now 👉https://shorturl.at/cbGKh

Land is under growing pressure in the Arab region due to rapid urbanization, population growth and environmental change. Addressing challenges like informal settlements, urban sprawl and inadequate housing requires stronger, more integrated land governance.

Aligning land reforms with housing strategies can help expand access to secure, serviced and well-located housing. In-situ upgrading of informal settlements through tenure regularization and improved infrastructure is just one example of how this can be achieved. Vertical urbanization, multi-purpose land consolidation and climate-smart approaches like the 15-minute city model can protect farmland and reduce sprawl, while transparent land taxation and strategic use of public and private land assets can promote responsible investment and balanced development.

The set of recommendations emerging from the Third Arab Land Conference sessions on land for housing and development also addressed establishing coherent legal foundations, scaling up participatory land registration mechanisms for communal and underserved lands and ensuring housing strategies respond to migration and climate-induced displacement.

📖 Read more in the Land for Housing and Development chapter of the Third hashtag Final Report: https://bit.ly/46TjJci
📥 Download the Emerging Recommendations of the Third Arab Land Conference: https://shorturl.at/8GQRT
📚 Explore case studies, research papers and more in the Conference E-Library: https://bit.ly/46V3w6j

UN-HABITAT Ministère de l'Aménagement du Territoire et d'urbanisme Global Land Tool Network (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)(Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland - RVO Land Portal International Land Coalition جامعة الدول العربية - League of Arab States
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Economic Commission for Africa World Bank The Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa

⏰ Two weeks left to apply!
Organizations from the Arab region: There are only 14 days remaining to submit your expression of interest for our urban rental housing market research project.

This is your opportunity to: 🔍 Analyse rental housing trends across the Arab region 📋 Develop methodology that will be used regionally 🤝 Shape policies affecting millions of renters 💡 Support vulnerable populations including displaced persons
The selected partner will work with UN-Habitat and the Arab Land Initiative to produce research that directly informs housing policy and programming.

Deadline: 28 November 2025

Don't wait—review the eligibility criteria and submission guidelines now 👉

Call for Research Proposals: Urban Rental Market in the Arab Region UN-Habitat and the Arab Land Initiative are currently inviting interested organizations and institutions from the Arab region to submit expressions of interest to conduct an assessment of the urban rental housing market in the Arab region and identify best practices and policy recommendations.

Knowledge and information systems are central to strengthening land governance in the Arab region, where complex challenges like rapid urbanization, displacement, climate change and tenure insecurity demand informed, context-specific solutions. Countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Palestine and Somalia are showing how tailored education programs, data platforms and knowledge management systems can help institutionalize reform.

Embedding these systems within government, academia and civil society ensures institutional memory and impact beyond project cycles. Initiatives like the Arab Academic Network for Land Governance and support for national platforms, academic journals, and unified Arabic land management terminology are crucial.

📖 For more insights on this topic, read the Knowledge and Information chapter of the Third Arab Land Conference Final Report: https://bit.ly/46TjJci
📚 Explore research papers, case studies and other session materials by visiting the Third Arab Land Conference E-Library: https://bit.ly/46V3w6j

UPDATE:
NEW DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: SATURDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 2025

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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT OFFICER, HUMAN SETTLEMENTS (P4)

UN-HABITAT seeks to fill this Temporary Job Opening (TJO) position in the Land, Housing & Shelter Section.

The role seeks to develop and implement UN-HABITAT’s normative activities related to housing policy, with the main focus on slum upgrading and prevention through pro-poor housing delivery mechanisms, and assisting in the design, advice and implementation of relevant strategies and programmes in collaboration with other UN-HABITAT units in line with the Strategic Plan and other relevant frameworks.

The role is responsible for research and networking; updating existing knowledge and information sources in the organisation; prepare documentation for the governing bodies of UN-HABITAT, World Urban Forum and other international bodies and conferences and contribute to relevant programmes.

Apply before 29th November 2025

More information: https://tinyurl.com/2mau6xsx

Calling Arab region organizations working on housing solutions!
UN-Habitat and the Arab Land Initiative are seeking a partner organization from the Arab region to conduct critical research on the urban housing market across the region.

What you'll do: ✅ Assess regional rental market trends ✅ Develop an innovative assessment methodology ✅ Pilot the methodology in one Arab country ✅ Share findings with regional experts
Your research will help improve housing affordability and tenant protection for vulnerable populations, including low-income families and displaced persons.

Deadline: 28 November 2025
Ready to contribute to better housing policies?
Download the full call for proposals 👉 shorturl.at/VaDqn

Global Land Tool Network UN-HABITAT

Call for Research Proposals: Urban Rental Market in the Arab Region UN-Habitat and the Arab Land Initiative are currently inviting interested organizations and institutions from the Arab region to submit expressions of interest to conduct an assessment of the urban rental housing market in the Arab region and identify best practices and policy recommendations.