Plenary Speakers

Opening Honoured Guest

MINISTER: LAND REFORM & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Cabinet Committees:

• Cabinet Committee for Social Protection, Community and Human Development (SPCHD);

• Cabinet Committee for the Economic Sectors, Invetment, Employment and Infrastructure (ESIEID

Opening Keynote

PRESIDENT: CIRCLE OF GLOBAL BUSINESS WOMEN 

President Sindiswa Mzamo is the founder and President for the Circle of Global Business Women, a global women organisation that elevates African women in global forums and platforms, aimed at creating a platform for women to trade ad connect, learn and connect globally.  

She has held Executive leadership roles in the private and public sector within South Africa. She is a member of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa ) Energy and Green Economy Working Group. She is active in various Gender Advocacy, Education, Socio -Economic Growth drive within the continent and globally. Sindiswa is breaking boundaries continentally and internationally as a woman business leader with ideas on solving global economic challenges internationally and in the continent as an International Speaker, a Mentor and distinguished judge. Ms Sindiswa Mzamo holds qualifications from GIBS University and University of Johannesburg. She is a global women economic activist and a pioneer for women advancement globally. 

Circle of Global Business Women (CGBW) is a global women network of intelligent and innovative women who are authentic in their endeavours to create a leadership shift globally. Circle of Global Business Women is a unique organisation that was established by African Women and Women dedicated to Africa and aims to elevate African Women to global markets based in South Africa in Africa. CGBW Investments was founded and led by women globally, working with men strategically to drive the agenda of Future Is A Woman, for women to take their rightful positions in the market place sponsored by male colleagues in the market place .Their overarching purpose is to make a difference in terms of strategic investments to ensure the wealth of global markets will benefit women from disadvantaged communities. The philosophy of CGBW is to bring more value to their communities by encouraging women to work together in terms of the African Free Continental Trade and Global Trade.

Transforming data chaos into digital clarity for land and beyond

See how nations across Africa and beyond are converting disconnected data into digital clarity. Through real-world examples, discover how modern surveying and mapping technologies are driving transparency, efficiency, and sustainable land management.

Dr Craig Hill is a Vice President in the Geomatics Division at Leica Geosystems in Heerbrugg Switzerland. He received his PhD at RMIT University in Melbourne Australia, after completing a Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Applied Science. Dr Hill’s University studies where in the area of Land Surveying and included the design of new technologies for surveying professionals. Dr Hill started work for Leica Geosystems in 1995, and since then has been a core team member of numerous development projects to bring new technologies and services to Surveyors world-wide to increase their efficiency. Dr Hill is the Leica Geosystems representative for the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and regularly participates in their working-weeks and congresses. Dr Hill is a dual Australian and Swiss National, and in his spare time enjoys traveling with his family.

Surveyors and climate resilience: Practical climate actions

Humanity is dealing with a global climate crisis. Surveyors are already playing a major role dealing with the impacts of climate, and this will increase. New technologies have enhanced the surveyors’ critical role in the management of these impacts. The presentation focuses on practical surveying actions, methods and tools for climate resilience, for land, water and marine. Surveyors are working on 16 major climate actions from new technical approaches, to ethics, to environmental sustainability, to climate resilient fit-for-purpose land administration, natural disaster impacts and more. The environmental crisis is creating new markets for surveyors, and new business models are emerging to support climate resilience. This is a growing industry able to support multiple workflows going beyond business as usual. Solutions need to cross the digital divide of the global north and global south to ensure global and national environmental goals are met for people and the planet.

• Chair of the International Federation of Surveyors Climate Compass Task Force (2023-2026)
• Key author and coordinator of the new FIG Task Force publication ‘Surveying for Climate Resilience: Practical Climate Actions.’
• Honorary Ambassador, International Federation of Surveyors (2014-).
• Awarded the Michael Barrett Award by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (2018).
• Senior Adviser, Arab Land Initiative, UN-Habitat/Global Land Tool Network (2019-).
• UN-Habitat, Section Leader, Land and Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) (2003-2015) and Lead Founder of GLTN.
• Senior Lecturer in the Department of Land Surveying in the School of Engineering, Surveying and Construction at the University of KwaZulu Natal (1994-2000).

Enabling a New Digital Vision of the Marine Environment

The future of global development will be shaped by the capacity to manage spaces that connect people, economies, and ecosystems in a coherent and integrated manner. Oceans, seas, and coastal zones—once considered peripheral to land-based planning—have become central to global challenges related to climate change, security, trade, energy, and sustainable growth. In this evolving landscape, authoritative marine geospatial information is increasingly recognized as a strategic enabler for governance, resilience, and informed decision-making.

Rear Admiral Luigi Sinapi was born in Grosseto (Italy) on August 27 1967.
He joined the Naval Academy in Livorno (Italy) in 1985.
Rear Admiral Sinapi was:

• Commanding Officer of the MIRTO Survey Vessel
• Commanding Officer of Frigate ZEFFIRO
• Commanding Officer of Destroyer DURAND DE LA PENNE
• Head of the Financial Planning, the Operations and Logistics departments of the Italian
  Navy General Staff
• Director of the Italian Hydrographic Institute – national Hydrographer of ITALY from
  October 2015 to July 2020.

From 1st September 2020, Rear Admiral Sinapi has been elected International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Director for six years, as responsible for coordinating the IHO’s program.  He has been lecturer in various Italian Universities (Politecnico of Turin, Alma Mater of Bologna, Messina, Pavia, Milano Bicocca, etc.) and he has published a number of essays in national and international journals and reviews.

Applications of Geospatial Solutions and Technologies for Climate Resilience

Climate change and its impacts are inherently spatial, dynamic, and multi-scalar, demanding responses grounded in location-based evidence and continuous insight. This plenary examines how geospatial solutions—integrating Earth Observation (EO), GEOAI, digital twin technologies, and positioning infrastructure—provide an end-to-end framework to support climate action through five structured approaches. First, authoritative geospatial information, EO data, and 3D digital representations establish robust baseline studies, enabling decision-makers to understand existing conditions, identify risks, and visualize what is at stake. Second, GEOAI and spatial analytics support the formulation of mitigation and adaptation solutions by integrating multi-source data, detecting patterns, and modelling climate risk scenarios. Third, continuous mapping, GNSS-enabled monitoring, and automated analytics facilitate the monitoring of change, capturing climate impacts such as sea-level rise, land subsidence, deforestation, and urban heat dynamics. Fourth, time-series analysis of geospatial information enables the measurement of effectiveness, providing objective assessment of interventions against defined targets. Finally, immersive 3D visualization and digital platforms enhance communication, translating complex climate intelligence into actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and communities. Together, these geospatial solutions position the surveying and geomatics profession at the forefront of delivering climate-resilient and sustainable outcomes.

Victor Khoo is the Chief Surveyor and Director for Survey and Geomatics at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), where he leads transformative mapping programmes and geospatial strategies supporting agencies and industry across Singapore.

In his statutory appointment as the Chief Surveyor, he is responsible for the determination of legal property boundaries and cadastral survey information. He oversees the establishment of national positioning infrastructure, digital transformation in cadastral survey, and the Singapore National 3D Mapping Programme. In 2017, Victor initiated the Digital Underground project to develop a comprehensive ecosystem for the mapping underground utility networks.

Currently, he serves on the Singapore Land Surveyors Board, United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (UN-GGCE) International Advisory Committee and Vice-Chair of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) Asia Pacific regional committee.

He has a Bachelor of Surveying (Land) from the University Technology Malaysia (UTM), and received his PhD and Master in Engineering from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Title: Women’s land rights – a movement for tomorrow, an invitation for today. 

We have made enormous collective progress toward gender equality in land rights and governance over the last several decades. Yet for individual women around the world, law, policy, and commitments have not yet translated into practice. FAO’s Status of Land Tenure and Governance report, released this year, confirms the stark disparities women continue to face in rights to agricultural land and housing. Closing this gap between global commitments to women’s land rights and realities on the ground is the shared purpose of the Stand for Her Land global advocacy initiative and of FIG. This plenary presentation will highlight momentum and opportunity for the women’s land rights movement, and the power of partnership. At a time of unprecedented challenge, if we invest in women’s land rights, we can ensure we leave no one behind. 

Beth Roberts is a law, policy, and gender expert who works to strengthen gender-equal and socially inclusive rights to land and natural resources. In her role as Director of Landesa’s Center for Women’s Land Rights, Beth leads a team of gender experts and specialists across the organization; provides technical support on gender equality and social inclusion to Landesa’s program teams; leads Landesa’s work on the Stand for Her Land campaign as well as on human rights agendas, and contributes to Landesa’s work on climate action and global advocacy more broadly; and works to collaborate with, strengthen, and expand the network of practitioners focused on gender and natural resource justice worldwide. 

Securing a Billion Rights: A Call to Action

Land and property are the cornerstone of global wealth, yet only about 35 percent of land rights are formally registered, 25% of the global urban population resides in slums, and significant disparities in land ownership persist for women and Indigenous Peoples creating fundamental barriers to economic development, social equity, and environmental actions and stewardship. Drawing on four decades of experience, the World Bank Group has supported countries in developing proven solutions to address this gap, with an active portfolio of 51 operations totaling US$2.9 billion.

These operations have yielded transformative successes. For example, the province of Punjab in Pakistan has implemented a fully digital and transparent land administration system. Similarly, a national program in Indonesia is nearing complete registration of all land parcels, Benin has modernized its registration processes, and Colombia is using a multipurpose cadaster to improve taxation and planning.

These experiences form a blueprint to scale global investments in land rights. The solution involves a concerted effort to register and digitize private, public, and communal land rights. We envision an accelerated path to securing 1 billion land rights over the next decade. This initiative, fueled by US$8 billion in public and private investment, is projected to yield US$100 billion in economic value, create millions of jobs, and advance critical societal and environmental goals.

Mr. Mika-Petteri Törhönen is the World Bank’s Global Lead on Land with 30+ years of experience in tenure security, land access, and land administration modernization. He leads the Bank’s Land Community of Practice and manages, develops and provides technical expertise to investment lending and knowledge operations to multiple countries and regions. He has a thorough, practical understanding of land and property as assets and their role in a functional market economy, jobs, and growth, as well as sources of cultural and social identity, and environmental balance. Mika’s core technical interests include land registration, land administration digitalization, property valuation, and state land monetization. A Finnish Land Surveyor, Mika holds a Doctor of Science degree from the Aalto University.

Why Land and Soil Matter for Achieving the Goals of the CAADP Kampala (2026–2035) Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Africa

The Presentation highlights the critical role of land and soil in achieving the goals of the AU CAADP Kampala (2026–2035) Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Africa. It emphasizes that secure land tenure, effective land administration, and sustainable soil management are foundational to advancing food security, climate adaptation, and inclusive agrifood transformation across the continent. Degraded soils, land fragmentation, and weak governance systems continue to constrain agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, while increasing climate variability further intensifies pressure on fragile ecosystems. By integrating geospatial innovation, improved land administration systems, and evidence-based soil management practices, countries can strengthen planning, enhance equity in resource allocation, and support sustainable land use and restoration. The presentation underscores that land and soil are interdependent pillars of sustainable development, requiring coordinated action among policymakers, geospatial professionals, and agricultural stakeholders to accelerate resilient agrifood system transformation under the CAADP Kampala 2026–2035 agenda.

Dr. Janet Edeme is presently the Head of Rural Development Division and Acting Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Division in the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

She has a B.Sc. in Botany from the University of Calabar in Nigeria, an M. Sc. In Agricultural Biology with specialization in Plant Pathology from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Ibadan, and a P.hD from the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology of the University of Ibadan in conjunction with Texas A&M University, College Station, USA and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria.

 Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Dr. Edeme has worked and garnered experience as a Plant Pathologist, an Agricultural Development Specialist and a Policy Formulation and Development Analyst. From August 1988 to 1989, she worked as an assistant lecturer in one of the Universities in Nigeria. Between August 1998 and 2000, after her Ph.D. she worked as a Post-Doctoral Scientist (Plant and Seed Health) in the Forage Genetics Resources Unit of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  She has worked as a consultant for various international organizations ranging from UNAIDS, UNESCO-IICBA (International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa) and FAO. As a consultant for the FAO, she was seconded to the AU-Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union to strengthen the capacity and facilitate the establishment of the Department.

As Acting Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Division she coordinates the implementation of the CAADP Malabo and the 2026 – 2035 CAADP Kampala Declaration, Strategy and Action Plan, the AU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Programme, Implementation of the Sustainable  Africa Mechanisation for Africa to mention a few.

The Rural Development  Division which she heads in a substantive capacity is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the African Union Agenda on Land and its challenges, AU Policy Framework on Pastoralism, Post-Harvest Loss Management, Empowerment of Women and Youth in Agriculture, AU Agribusiness Youth Strategy in addition to coordinating the implementation of the African Union Digital Agricultural Strategy and Rural Infrastructure Policy Framework to mention a few of  some of the programmes of the Division.

From Vision to Action: People & Planet in the FIG Sustainability Agenda 2023–2026

FIG’s agenda for the period 2023 to 2026 is underpinned by the need for a sustainable profession that delivers services in a sustainable manner and address the global sustainable development agenda and to act now to address the climate agenda. Listen to how the FIG community has continued to provide innovative and adaptive professional leadership in society responding to the urgency to tackle the global challenges.

Dr. Diane Dumashie RICS, CEDR, is an internationally respected leader in the land and built environment sector and currently serves as President of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). Known for her strategic clarity and inclusive leadership, she is committed to advancing a sustainable and resilient future.

With a career spanning corporate real estate, international development and high‑level engagement, Diane brings deep expertise in land management, across the functions of land use, land value, land tenure and economic development.

As FIG President, she champions generational inclusivity, diversity, and global collaboration. Her leadership focuses on empowering young surveyors, embedding equity and inclusion in professional practice, and aligning the surveying profession with the Sustainable Development Goals. Her presidency is marked by a focus on climate resilience, digital transformation, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the rapidly evolving geospatial landscape.

Achieving the future we want – sharing our call to action

2030 is approaching fast and we have to take collective and decisive action.

This Ignite session launches Call to Action from the FIG Task Force on SDGs: a bold push for surveyors everywhere to Advocate, Innovate, Collaborate, and Deliver the future we want.

With more than 70% of SDG targets relying on geospatial data, our profession is uniquely positioned to drive real impact: from climate resilience to digital transformation, land governance, and inclusive partnerships. This is a call to be involved to achieve the future we want. To:

• Raise awareness and promote the value of surveyors in achieving and sustaining the SDGs and beyond
• Promote technology and innovation to modernize practices and enhance impact.
• Build partnerships and expand the scope of the profession to meet global challenges.
• Foster inclusivity and shared purpose across the profession

In five minutes, discover how FIG’s new framework unites and mobilisers the profession to deliver a sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.

As Director of Kadaster International, Paula collaborate globally to help secure land rights, empower communities, and support sustainable development through reliable geo-information. 

With a background in Social Geography and expertise in GIS and cadaster and land management, she is passionate about turning knowledge into impact. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the UN-GGIM Expert Group on Land Administration and as Chair of the FIG Task Force on the SDGs—roles that allow me to help shape global frameworks and foster meaningful change.

Navigating the future: Surveyors, Public Interest and the Data‑to‑Decision Gap

Synopsis
With GIM International‘s interview with RICS President Nick Maclean, this plenary sets out plainly and practically how we convert professional and technical capability into trusted decisions, market confidence and better public policy. The presentation will connect the dots between our profession’s immediate pressures—skills pipelines, AI and digital ethics, marine and climate‑driven land risk—and the surveyors’ role as a standard‑bearer at the frontline of the built and natural environment. This plenary will move beyond ‘tools and tech talk’ to the judgement, education reform and cross‑disciplinary collaboration required to make spatial data actually matter to governments, investors and communities. It will also outline a simple agenda for the next 12 months: evidence‑led influence with lawmakers, ethical use of AI, purposeful capacity‑building and a renewed commitment to the public interest that keeps surveyors, land, property, construction and beyond, at the heart of delivery.

Nicholas Maclean is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is the President and Chair of Governing Council of RICS. In this role, Nick utilises his experience to provide leadership that continues to drive the Institution’s priorities of raising the influence of the profession with lawmakers and regulators; ensuring that the initial and continuing development of skills in surveying remains fit for purpose; and that the value of being a Chartered Surveyor is fully appreciated by clients, the members and the general public. 

He has previously served as an elected member, then interim Chair, of the RICS Governing Council, and as an interim RICS Board Member and Chair of the RICS Membership Services Committee. Prior to taking up his previous position on Governing Council, he was a member, then Chair, of the RICS MENA Market Advisory Panel.

Nick now lives and works in the United Kingdom, having previously served as Co-Chairman & Managing Director of the CBRE Middle East Region, which he established in 2004. He left the business at the end of 2024, after 37 years, to concentrate fully on the RICS Presidential role.

He is a GlobalScot; the Scottish Government’s Trade & Investment Envoy to the United Arab Emirates; and received the First Minister’s Award for Services to Trade and Bilateral Relations in 2023. He was made OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2024.

Nick is also a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and an Honours Member of the Institute of Revenue, Rating & Valuation. He is the former Chair of the Lillian Sutton (SoC) Endowment Charitable Trust.

He holds the Reserve Decoration and has been named by Arabian Business as one of the 100 most influential people in the UAE and, in 2023, as one of the Top 100 Executives in the UAE.

Land Cover, Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence

Remote sensing is a science that is fully based on physical conditions of the measurement and reaction of this object to the electromagnetic radiation.  These conditions specify two parameter types: internal and external. Internal parameters of the given object are formed by its consumption and conditions in the moment of the measurement. The external parameters are determined by the geometric and atmospheric situation. Classification of the land cover is a complex task that combines several decisions if the user decides to use remote sensing. The presentation will analyse these decisions in the relation with the artificial intelligence input.

Since graduation from the Czech Technical University in Prague (Faculty of Civil Engineering), Lena Halounová remained within its walls during her Ph.D. at the Department of Hydrotechnics, and then moved to the Remote Sensing Laboratory of the Department of Mapping and Cartography. In her research, Lena pays special attention to issues of using optical and SAR remote sensing data and GIS applications for solving problems of water engineering, erosion, reclamations, landslides, land subsidence, detection of vegetation in urban areas, change detection in urban areas, etc. Numerous works and publications of Lena Halounová as well as her lectures in Prague universities are dedicated to these topics.

Lena Halounová was deeply involved in EARSeL for 12 years in various positions including Chairperson. During the XXII ISPRS Congress in Melbourne, Lena was elected the Director of the 2016 ISPRS Congress, which was held in Prague, July 12-19. Since 2016 she served as ISPRS Secretary General for the next ISPRS inter-congresses periods. She was elected ISPRS President by General Assembly during the XXIV ISPRS Congress in Nice in June 2022.

Actionable Cartography: The Atlas of Sustainability

What if maps didn’t just show us the world, but helped us change it? Actionable Cartography: The Atlas of Sustainability explores how modern mapping can move beyond visualization to become a tool for decision-making, collaboration, and measurable impact. Communication that can translate complex environmental data into shared understanding and collective action. In this fast-paced Ignite talk, we’ll explore how spatial visualization turns abstract numbers into stories people can see, question, and respond to together.

Rather than overwhelming audiences with charts and reports, sustainability atlases use geography as grammar and layers as vocabulary, revealing relationships between climate, resources, infrastructure, and communities at a glance. When data is mapped, patterns become arguments, proximity becomes evidence, and place becomes context.

Through compelling examples, you’ll see how maps can align stakeholders, bridge disciplinary silos, and accelerate decisions—from local planning to global strategy. The talk makes the case that in a world saturated with information, the most effective way to communicate sustainability is not just to explain it, but to map it.

Georg Gartner is an Austrian cartographer and geographer. He studied geography and cartography at the University of Vienna and later received his PhD and habilitation from the Vienna University of Technology. He is Professor of Cartography and Geo-Mediatechniques at TU Wien, where he leads the Research Unit Cartography.

He served as President of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) from 2011 to 2015 and was re-elected President for the term 2023–2027. He also plays a central role in the International Master of Science in Cartography—a joint program of TU Wien, TU Munich, TU Dresden, and the University of Twente. In addition, he has contributed significantly to scientific publishing as Editor of the Lecture Notes on Geoinformation and Cartography as well as the Journal of Location-based Services.  

In recognition of his contributions, Gartner has received numerous awards and honours. These include Honorary Doctorates from Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest), the ICA Honorary Fellowship, and an Honorary Professorship from the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping.

We are map makers in a modern world

Our world is constantly changing, and people have always needed to know how these changes impact them. We are all part of a global industry that is segmented into separate disciplines, and all have a role to play in capturing, mapping, modelling and sharing information about the world around us. The accelerating pace of technological change touches every part of this ecosystem.

As the world changes, so does our definition of the modern map. This talk will explore what it means to reflect our changing human and physical geographies in the digital world and vice versa. It will focus on the changing requirements of users and the environment that the modern map maker operates in today, and consider how these pressures reshape our tools and our understanding of what a map can be.

It won’t provide all the answers, it will draw us further along the path towards building a connected digital future.

James Norris is Head of International Affairs at Ordnance Survey where he works to promote the vital role that geography and geospatial data has in transforming economies, sustaining the environment and using location insights for positive impacts.

James is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and is a Chartered Geographer. He joined Ordnance Survey in 2008 and has a variety of roles including corporate governance, domestic policy analysis, international policy and international relations.

James currently leads OS’s International Affairs activities. This includes developing, maintaining and enhancing bilateral relationships between OS and other National Mapping Agencies, representation and leadership in intergovernmental forums such as the UN and the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). He also currently holds a leadership position within the UN-GGIM Regional Committee for Europe. Throughout his career, James has been an advocate for early career professionals and DEI initiatives across all aspects of his work.

The Status of Land and Governance report

This first global report on the Status of Land and Governance generates, compiles and critically assesses innovative data, in view of documenting the state and tracking progress with regards land tenure systems and governance frameworks.

By bringing together tenure- and sex-disaggregated data and analyses from a wide range of sources — including governments, civil society and academia — and across multiple levels, from local to global, it establishes a robust evidence base for action. The report supports progress toward numerous Sustainable Development Goals, promotes the uptake of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), and contributes to the implementation of other key international frameworks, including the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) and the Rio Conventions.

It is intended to serve policymakers, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, the private sector and academia as a clear and authoritative reference point on land tenure and governance data and analysis. Above all, the report seeks to underscore and mainstream the central importance of secure and equitable land tenure for inclusive and sustainable development.

Dr Ward Anseeuw, a development economist and policy analyst, is a senior land tenure officer and lead of the Land Tenure Team at the Food and Agricultural Organization of the Unites Nations (FAO).

Previously, as a senior research fellow at the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), he was seconded from 2016 to 2023 to the International Land Coalition as the Global Lead Technical Specialist responsible for Data, Research, Knowledge Management and Learning; and from 2005 until 2016, he was seconded to the University of Pretoria, as a senior research fellow to the Post-Graduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development and as the co-director of the Center for the Study of Governance Innovations (GovInn) – which he founded in 2012.

His work focuses mainly on issues of land and policies, agrarian and land reforms, large-scale land acquisitions as well as to participatory approaches of data generation, governance and advocacy regarding land. He has published extensively on these issues in scientific journals and with renowned publishers; including Land, transition and compromise (with Chris Alden, Palgrave, 2009), The struggle over land in Africa – Conflicts, politics and change (with Chris Alden, HSRC Press, 2010), South Africa’s Agrarian Reform (In French, Editions Universitaires Européennes, 2011), South Africa’s Agrarian Question (HSRC Press, 2016) and Inclusive Businesses in Agriculture (SunMedia Press, 2017).

Advancing Continental Geospatial Governance for Africa’s Transformative Future.

Geospatial information has evolved from a supporting input to a strategic public infrastructure that underpins sustainable development, effective governance, and integrated spatial decision‑making. Across Africa, geospatial data, analytics, and applications are essential to land administration, infrastructure planning, climate action, risk management, and the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet their full value remains constrained by fragmented governance arrangements, uneven standards adoption, and limited institutional capacity.

This paper presents the continental strategy and leadership of the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa (UN‑GGIM: Africa) in advancing integrated and interoperable geospatial information systems aligned with the FIG 2026 theme, “The Future We Want: The SDGs and Beyond.” It argues that achieving development impact at scale requires moving beyond isolated national initiatives toward coordinated, standards‑based, and policy‑driven spatial information management frameworks.

UN‑GGIM: Africa is leading a sustained effort to strengthen national and regional geospatial ecosystems through the operationalization of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF), harmonized geodetic and reference systems, and continent‑wide spatial data infrastructures that integrate geospatial and statistical information. These efforts support consistent data production, interoperability, and authoritative spatial data services essential for SDG monitoring and post‑2030 development planning.

Beyond technical infrastructure, the strategy emphasizes institutional reform, professional capacity development, and education, recognizing that sustainable spatial information management depends on skilled professionals, spatially enabled institutions, and informed policy makers. Collaborative data initiatives, shared platforms, and targeted outreach are central to expanding access and use across sectors.

The paper concludes by highlighting sustainable financing and long‑term governance as critical enablers. Through collective action, UN‑GGIM: Africa is positioning geospatial information as a cornerstone of Africa’s future development architecture—transforming spatial data into decisions, accountability, and impact.

Andre Nonguierma is the Chief of the Geospatial Information Section at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. He leads the Commission’s work in advancing integrated geospatial information management, strengthening governance frameworks, and supporting African countries and regional organizations in establishing and operationalizing spatial information infrastructures.

Mr. Nonguierma brings over three decades of experience in geospatial science and technology. His work focuses on applying geospatial data and analytics to inform strategic decision‑making and promote evidence‑based policy development. He has contributed extensively to geospatial initiatives in government institutions, academic environments, and the private sector.

Geospatial Planning for Spatial Justice: Securing Rural Tenure and Advancing Land Reform in South Africa

Geospatial professionals play a critical role in shaping sustainable development, yet in South Africa their contributions have historically been concentrated in formally surveyed urban areas, reinforcing spatial inequality and exclusion. This paper argues for a deliberate reorientation of geospatial planning, land governance, and valuation practices toward peri-urban and rural areas, where insecure land tenure continues to disproportionately affect historically dispossessed Black communities.

Situated within South Africa’s broader transformation agenda, the paper examines how colonial and apartheid-era land dispossession produced enduring patterns of inequitable land ownership and spatial marginalisation. While legislative frameworks such as the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) and the Restitution of Land Rights Act provide mechanisms for redress, their effectiveness is constrained in areas where land remains unsurveyed, informally administered, or
inadequately integrated into geospatial systems.

Using the uMgungundlovu land claim as a case study, the paper employs a temporal analysis of spatial data and historical imagery to illustrate how dispossession, lack of cadastral recognition, and uneven geospatial investment have shaped current land use, tenure insecurity, and competing land rights. The case highlights the complexity of balancing restitution, existing occupation, and new economic uses, particularly in rural and peri-coastal areas experiencing tourism-driven development.

The paper contends that geospatial planning and valuation are not merely technical functions but institutional tools that make land rights visible, support equitable land allocation, strengthen municipal capacity, and enable inclusive economic participation. It calls for fit-for-purpose land administration, inclusive mapping practices, and intentional rural prioritisation to ensure security of tenure, reduce vulnerability, and advance spatial justice.

Nomfundo Ntloko is an Admitted Attorney of over 25 years, and South Africa’s first woman Chief Land Claims Commissioner.

She is a human rights activist with extensive working experience both at functional and leadership levels of the Public, NGO and Private Sectors. Her most notable appointments have been that of Chief Land Claims Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa, Acting Judge of the North Gauteng Division of the High Court, and Director of the Legal Resources Centre in Johannesburg.

Commissioner Ntloko hails from Mthatha in the former Transkei Homeland and is passionate about serving her country. She recognises the Constitution as the foundation of all the work she does.

She is the eldest of four daughters who were raised by their mother, Nompepho Ntloko, who is a confident, strong and determined woman. Ms. Ntloko passed her traits down to her daughters, who are now brilliant and well established. Commissioner Ntloko has two daughters of her own and has been determined to instill in them the same traits and values that she gained from her own mother.

True to the meaning of her name Nomfundo, she is a proponent of lifelong learning. Commissioner Ntloko holds key among other qualifications, a Post Graduate Certificate in Housing Policy Development and Management from the Graduate School of Public & Development Management at the University of Witwatersrand, a Diploma in Advanced Labour Law from the University of South Africa, a Master’s Degree in Business Management from the Oral Roberts University of Tulsa Oklahoma in the United States of America, a Master of Laws Degree from the University of Cape Town, and a BProc (Baccalaureus Procurations) Degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.