Geoff Payne has been invited to present a desk review of literature on land titling programmes at the next World Bank Urban Research Symposium to be held in Washington D.C. during 14 -16 May 2007. The desk review is presently being completed and it is hoped to make it available on this website shortly. The desk review represents Stage 1 of an international social and economic impact assessment of land titling programmes carried out in urban or peri-urban areas of developing countries.

Applications to fund case study analyses in six selected countries are presently being considered. Contributions have already been confirmed from UN-Habitat and SIDA in Sweden for which we are extremely grateful. If the remaining funds are forthcoming, we hope to start work on case studies in April and to complete the work in 2007. This will enable us to contribute findings and conclusions to the work of the Commission for Legal Empowerment of the Poor and the Global Land Tools Network early in 2008.