Report on the work of Land Registry’s International Unit

April 2006 – March 2007

It is my pleasure to present to you the fourth annual report on the activities of Land Registry’s International Unit.

Over the past year, we have continued to develop the spread of work undertaken by the unit, maintaining the momentum of the first three years despite a significant turnover of staff within the core team. We have increased substantially the number of study visits by international delegations that we have been able to host, and we welcome the opportunity for closer collaboration that this has provided. We have continued to play an active part in international forums, including the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Europe’s Working Party on Land Administration (UNECE WPLA), the European Land Information Service (EULIS) and the European Land Registry Association (ELRA). As in previous years, we have provided input into Land Registry’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) qualification programme. Whenever possible we have taken opportunities to speak or to provide speakers at overseas conferences. We have been able to take advantage of new opportunities to expand our international project portfolio, and have sought to increase the range of organisations with which we collaborate internationally.

In presenting this report, I must pay tribute to my predecessors, John Meadows and Dorothee Müller, who led the unit so effectively for the larger part of the year, and to the many Land Registry staff who have variously contributed to our programmes for overseas visitors, participated in international project work and represented Land Registry at international meetings and conferences.

In the forthcoming year we will continue to build on these successes. In particular, I very much hope that we will be able to increase the amount of assistance that we can provide overseas, especially in developing and transition countries, which have so much to gain from effective land administration.

Jon Atkey
Head of International Unit
April 2007