High-Level Forum Meeting of Presidents of Land Associations in Africa20-21 November 2023 at the African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaINVITATIONThe meeting is convened by International Federation of Surveyors - Africa Regional Network in collaboration with the Africa Land Policy Center. It shall hold as a pre-event of the Fifth Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA) from 20-24 November 2023 at the Africa Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The HLFM is convened to address capacity development challenges facing Africa land professionals in their tasks of ensuring that land information in Africa is not only comprehensive, timely and integrated, but also demand driven and delivered in a form and manner that it can be used in making decisions while involving minimal cost and effort at all levels of African societies. This objective is in tandem with the mission of FIG-ARN and supports the Africa Union towards attainment of Africa Agenda 2063, the Africa We Want. Stakeholders engaged in land information management in the continent are invited to this First High-Level Forum Meeting of presidents of land professional associations in Africa. BackgroundThe International Federation of Surveyors-Africa Regional Network (FIG-ARN) is an initiative of the FIG created with the specific mandate to address capacity development needs of African land professionals to match with the ever increasing and changing demand for actionable information for sustainable development of African countries and communities. ALPC is a tripartite consortium of the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank. It works at ensuring a peaceful and prosperous Africa through comprehensive, inclusive, and sustainable land policy. It is acknowledged that attainment of the African Union Agenda 2063 is anchored on accurate, actionable and coordinated geospatial information and that the responsibility for providing such information is rested on land professionals. No doubt each land professional association is giving its optimal contributions to their respective country’s national development plans and in the drive towards the Africa We Want. However, various policy, legal, technical and institutional challenges, common to all land professions in Africa, constitute wide chasms between where we are and where we ought to be. The first HLFM is therefore convened to discuss these challenges and develop tools and frameworks that will harness the capacity of African land professionals to meet up with the tasks of ensuring that land information in Africa is not only comprehensive, timely and integrated, but also demand driven and delivered in a form and manner that it can be used in making decisions while involving minimal cost and effort at all levels of African societies. The meeting shall establish working groups and standing committees which will, among other tasks, produce blueprints that will usher-in new era of networking and coordination among Africa’s disparate land professional associations; promote development of common standards and interoperability in land information management; and make African land professionals more visible and positioned for better service delivery to their societies. These outcomes shall, in-turn, leverage towards the creation of the much-needed Africa Land Professionals Charter, which shall provide one of the springboards for Africa to leapfrog to a data driven, spatially enabled, interconnected, peaceful and prosperous continent by the year 2063. Who Should Attend?The HLFM is expected to be attended by representatives of African Union Commission; the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; the African Development Bank; Africa Land Policy Center; the President of International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and the President of French Speaking Surveyors (FGF). Other distinguished personalities expected at the meeting include country representative and presidents of land professional associations in Africa in the fields of Land Surveying, Land Economy, Estate Surveying, Building Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Town Planning, and Architecture inclusive of their respective young and women networks. Invitation is also open to Heads of Departments and Chief Executive Officers of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, International Organizations, academia, corporate and individual sponsors with interest in land matters Why Attend?The HLFM provides participants an opportunity for high-level network and collaboration with various stakeholders in land information management in Africa. It is a platform for sharing of experience, knowledge and skill in geospatial sciences and industry. Practitioners are afforded opportunity to discuss challenges and find solutions from experienced stakeholders and captains in the industry. In addition to formation of working groups and standing committees, election of five sub-regional coordinators of the FIG-Africa Regional Network shall also be conducted during meeting. The side event tour of Addis Ababa and its environs affords delegates opportunity to visit historic sites and monuments, natural and man-made wonders that make the city of Addis Ababa the true capital of Africa. Participants shall have the rare opportunity for high level interface with leaders of industry, and topmost policy making institutions on land matters in Africa during the HLFM and at the fifth Conference on Land Policy in Africa, CLPA, which is jointly organised by the Africa Union Commission, Africa Development Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Participation in the CLPA is subject to prior registration in line with the conference organisers’ specifications
PROGRAMMEThe First HLFM holds from 19-21 November, 2023. The meeting will be organized in four modules to enable it achieve its stated objective: Arrival and Registration: Sunday, 19 November 2023 Day 1: Monday 20 November 2023
Day 2 Tuesday 21 November 2023
Details and breakdown of the program and modules will be made available in due course. REGISTRATIONThe HLFM will be held together with the fifth Conference on Land Policy
in Africa at the Africa Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. You are
kindly requested to
register here
(google form) to enable the organisers of the meeting plan for your
logistics arrangements. Corporate and Individual entities are called upon to sponsor some parts of the cost to make the meeting a huge success. Click here to obtain more information on sponsorship opportunities and see the benefits that your organization and brand shall gain by sponsoring the HLFM. Please register through this google document: https://forms.gle/KrVaaaswhbaK44y8A Please note: All registrations are preliminary and you are not finally registered until you receive a final confirmation from the organisers. VENUE AND ACCOMMODATIONVENUEThe HLFM will hold at the African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Click https://maps.app.goo.gl/bWoZutN1uaF4QzEn6 for ease of navigation. ACCOMMODATION AND NEARBY HOTELSJupiter International Hotel Jupiter International (https://maps.app.goo.gl/qtvXNJCVEXA6S7XU7) is a four-star hotel, located in Kazanchis, just 8 minutes’ drive to the African Union Headquarters and 15 minutes’ drive to Bole International Airport. The Hotel is chosen as the mainstay for the HLFM delegates. FIG-ARN has secured a block booking at the hotel at USD 80 per night. On these terms the Hotel offers complementary buffet breakfast and dinner, free shuttle service from and to the airport, free internet services, gym, sauna and steam services. There are, however, several other beautiful hotels in Addis Ababa around the African Union Headquarters. Their rates are reasonably affordable and usually flexible. It is advised that you book your accommodation early to avoid late minutes rush as that period is usually a height of activity at the AU. The Meeting Secretariat can make your booing arrangements, please contact the organisers with information on arrival and departure.
SPONSORSHIPWhy Sponsor?You are encouraged to become sponsor of this high level event. Registration fees are held free hoping that the this high level meeting will be covered through sponsorships. Sponsorship of the first High Level Forum Meeting of Presidents of Africa Land Professional Associations comes with unprecedented benefits to our sponsors. It affords you the opportunity to:
All sponsorship and donations funds will be collected, managed and disbursed by the International Federation of Surveyors and will be used in transparent, ethical manner and solely for the purpose of making the HLFM a success. No fund will be expended for the personal use of the conference organizers whatsoever. Please contact the conference organisers for your sponsorship optionsCONTACT AND PRACTICAL INFORMATIONContact persons WhatsApp numbers and email:
Visa InformationEthiopia offers e-visa for more than 100 countries. Delegates can apply online and obtain the e-visa. Applicants are advised to obtain the e-visa before travelling to Ethiopia. Nationals of Africa Union member states can be granted visa on arrival at Bole International Airport. Holders of Official and Diplomatic passport can access visa free entrance into Ethiopia on presentation of their letters of invitation. For more information on visa requirements, follow this link https://ethiopiatravels.org Flight to Addis AbabaIn addition to other international carriers, Ethiopian Airlines flies 133 international passenger and cargo destinations to and from Addis Ababa. With 63 destinations in Africa, the airline offers daily direct flights to Addis Ababa from almost all African countries. Delegates are advised to book their flights early to save cost. TOURISM INFORMATIONIn addition to the 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Ethiopia, the city of Addis Ababa and its environs offers tourists sights of unique cultural heritage, centuries old histories and rich diversity of flora and fauna. Arrangements has been made for delegates to visit any and more of the following sites within Addis Ababa and its environs. Adadi Mariam: This is a 13th century rock hewn church located approximately 60KM South of Addis Ababa. It is dotted with beautiful enchanting rock outcrops. It offers tourists a rare opportunity to be at 2000m asl and walking back to 1.5 million years in the prehistoric sites of Melka Kunture and its archeological spots Africa Hall: The historic Africa Hall is where the first African Heads of
State Conference was held in 1963. The conference brought into being the
Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the AU Ambo & Wonchi: These are located 125km West of Addis Ababa. Delegates can enjoy mud clay bath, mineral rich volcanic hot spring spa at Ambo and a boat ride in the 3000m asl beautiful volcanic crater lake of Wonchi. Its small islands, hot springs, waterfalls, breath- taking scenic valleys, monasteries and vineyards will leave you with indelible enchanting memories Mount Entoto: The sacred mountain with its many monasteries, overlooks the
city of Addis Ethiopian National Museum: The National Museum is situated in Addis Ababa
University. The museum contains numerous various historical relics,
antiquities, archaeological, paleontologist objects including the 3.5
million-years-old skeleton of Dinkinesh (Lucy)
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