Washington D.C., 19 April 2011—The Land Portal, an online platform to find, share, and collaborate on land information, was launched today at the annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty. Created by the International Land Coalition (ILC) and Landtenure.info, the Land Portal aims to improve transparency, land rights monitoring, and the identification of information gaps for better land governance.
“Information on access to land and its close relationship with poverty, food security and rural development is vital for improving national land policies in countries around the world,” said Madiodio Niasse, Director of the ILC secretariat in Rome “Land information can be scattered, outdated, and difficult to find. The portal provides a single platform for a wide variety of users to find information on the most pressing issues and questions on land.”
The Land Portal is the result of a broad partnership with more than 40 land-concerned organizations. The site is designed to provide information that is useful to a variety of players working in or contributing to economic and social development, including government institutions, civil society leaders, multilateral organizations, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, academic and research organizations, and media.
The portal enables all users to quickly and easily search multiple databases at the same time; find reliable and updated information by country and theme; customize user and organizational profiles and alerts; and share knowledge by uploading and validating content using a range of formats. The portal also helps people connect and collaborate with a vibrant user community, join thematic working groups and build collective actions.
The Land Portal is facilitated by ILC and is sponsored by the European Commission, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and Omidyar Network.
“Land is one of the greatest assets of the world’s poor. Ultimately, the positive economic and social impact of property rights can transform lives and bolster communities,” said Amy Klement, Vice President at Omidyar Network. “The Land Portal accelerates this impact by connecting leaders in the field and making land-related information accessible, transparent, and actionable.”
Please visit the Land Portal at www.landportal.info