On various continents (Latin America, Asia, Africa), numerous countries have undertaken land or agrarian reforms, land tenure regularisation and registration policies, and experiments in the negotiated management of natural resources. Innovative field experiments are underway. Recent research—in economics, socio-anthropology, law—renew how this issue of access to land and its resources is addressed. Technical advances in geomatics have modified the evaluation of data on the issues of mapping and recording rights, and land tenure information management. Recent summaries contribute to building new conceptual and operational frameworks.

The issue of land policies is controversial. While some advocate privatising land and developing the market, others emphasise acknowledging local communities’ rights. Political, institutional, and operational choices are varied. The diversification of land information systems opens new possibilities, but questions persist as to the contexts and modalities in which such approaches are relevant and operational. The need for interdisciplinary approaches (including economics, socio-anthropology, law and geomatics) is proclaimed more than implemented in practice. Recent accomplishments by research and the analysis and documentation of actions are not always integrated.

In this phase of vivid debates and rapidly evolving ideas and knowledge, it is more than ever necessary for those involved in public policies to be kept informed of news and debates, to facilitate access to information on knowledge and experiences, and to bring together reflections and approaches.

For all this, the information available on Internet concerning recent work and experiences is difficult to access, especially for non-English-speakers. Few sites offer information on the subject in French even though actions and reflections abound. Despite recent initiatives, information remains partitioned across disciplines and scattered across different sites.