ILMS is a land measurement standard and a due diligence framework that enables evidence-based assessment of land and property.
This global standard is designed to address the current lack of transparency and consistency in recording key land data elements, such as land rights and other interests when engaged in land acquisition and transfer processes. ILMS can be used in an urban or rural environment, for single or multiple land parcels, and is robust enough to be used in the most data-rich or data-poor environments.
In many developing and developed countries, large tracts of land are held on an informal basis. This may result in people living with insecure tenure and the effects of opaque interests. This can make it extremely difficult to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that support good land administration.
ILMS is divided into five parts:
- Part 1: The introduction details the standard’s development and the drive behind it.
- Part 2 provides additional context around land information systems, the application of the standard and links with other international standards.
- Parts 3 and Part 4 cover the components that make up the due diligence framework and give examples of how this may be completed in both data-rich and data-poor environments.
- Key terms are then defined in Part 5.
Download the International Land Measurement Standard >
About the International Land Measurement Standard Coalition
The International Land Measurement Standard Coalition formed in 2016 after a preliminary meeting at the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). The Coalition is a non-governmental, not-for-profit coalition of land professionals, from over 30 not-for-profit member organisations. The Coalition aims to bring about consistent due diligence for land and real property surveying globally through the creation and adoption of ILMS.
ILMS is part of a global drive towards transparency and ‘due diligence’ protocols within the land and property sectors. ILMS works in conjunction with the recently released UNFAO due diligence for lawyers engaged in land acquisition (available UNFAO due diligence guide for lawyers 2019), the DFID/UKAID/ODI/TMP Tenure Risk Tool and with the ongoing development of global standards such as LADM.
