FAO is the custodian UN agency for 21 SDG indicators and contributing agency for 4 more, supporting countries' monitoring of the 2030 Agenda. As custodian, FAO's responsibilities include supporting national priority setting, policy environments, participation in policy processes, statistical reporting, and resource mobilization. Two land tenure indicators FAO is custodian for measure the proportion of agricultural population with land ownership and countries guaranteeing equal land rights for women. These indicators will help countries adopt reforms improving women's economic empowerment. Indicators on land tenure differ in scope but both monitor populations' legally recognized and perceived secure access to land.

1. FAO and the Sustainable Development Goals
Dr. ir. Louisa J.M. Jansen
Second Regional Land Forum, 28-30 May 2018, Bangkok

2. FAO is …
- the custodian UN agency for 21 SDG indicators; and
- is a contributing agency for 4 SDG indicators.
In this capacity, FAO is supporting countries’ efforts
in monitoring the 2030 Agenda.

3. What is a custodian agency responsible for?
- Support governments to set national priorities and targets;
- Foster strong and coherent institutional and policy environments;
- Engage all actors concerned in national policy processes and
dialogues;
- Support national statistical institutions to produce global and
national indicators;
- Support governments to report on challenges and results;
- Contribute to mobilizing resources in support of national efforts;
- Contribute to the global follow-up an review of the SDGs.

4. Indicator 5.a.1
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership
or secure rights over agricultural land by sex;
(b) Share of women among owners or rights-bearers of
agricultural land, by type of tenure
Custodian and partners: FAO, UN Women, EDGE, World Bank

5. Indicator 5.a.2
(a) Percentage of countries where the legal framework
(including customary law) guarantees women’s equal
rights to land ownership and/or control
Custodian and partners: FAO

6. Why these indicators?
(a) Women represent about half of the total agricultural labour
force in developing countries but own a much smaller share of
the land and other assets than men do.
(b) Agricultural land is often the most important asset in rural
settings.
(c) Secure land tenure is associated with higher levels of
investment and productivity in agriculture (e.g. collateral for
loans).
These indicators will allow countries to adopt gender-sensitive legal
reforms aimed at improving women’s economic development and
social empowerment.

7. Indicator 1.4.2
Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights
to land, with (1) legally recognized documentation and (2)
who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type
of tenure
Custodian and partners: UN-Habitat, World Bank – partners
Global Donor Working Group on Land, Global Land Indicators
Initiative

8. Similarity of indicators?
Indicators 1.4.2 and 5.a.1 differ in key areas:
(a) Take into consideration different types of land:
• 1.4.2 considers all types of land
• 5.a.1 focuses on agricultural land
(b) Monitor different reference populations:
• 1.4.2 looks at whole adult population in the country
• 5.a.1 considers population for whom agricultural land is relevant
(c) Differ in the span of land tenure definition:
• 1.4.2 defines tenure security as access to legally recognized documents and the
perceptions on tenure security
• 5.a.1 looks at de facto tenure rights and adopts a wider definition of land tenure
rights

9. In summary
193 Member States of the UN adopted, after broad global
multi-stakeholder consultation, the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development:
• Committing the international community to end poverty and hunger
and achieve sustainable development in the social, economic and
environmental dimensions.
• Representing a global vision of prosperity for people and the planet that
aspires to involve everybody.
The 17 SDGs are universal, interlinked and indivisible, and call
for comprehensive and participatory approaches.

10. Thank you for your attention
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