The XXX FIG General Assembly and Working Week is to be held in Hong Kong SAR, China from 13th to 17th May 2007, hosted by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) and the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). I will welcome you to Hong Kong on behalf of the members of HKIS. The theme of the conference, ‘Strategic Integration of Surveying Services’, is linked to the role of FIG in building bridges between surveyors from various regions and cultures and between different surveying disciplines as based on the FIG definition of a surveyor. The theme also reflects how professional surveyors in Hong Kong have worked closely together to make the city a sustainable place in which to live. Hong Kong enjoys a strategic geograph–ic–al position as gateway to Mainland China and Asia and we endeavour to foster closer working relationship with professional surveyors all over the world. The conference will also provide an excellent opportunity for integration between international participants and their Chinese counterparts. Hong Kong, an Asian World City, has a lot to offer the global surveying community, including expertise for all professionals in property surveying and construction economics. Hosting FIGWW2007 provides us with the opportunity to offer informative technical tours and interesting social programmes that will make your stay here a memorable experience.

Raymond Chan, president, HKIS

Barrett Award

The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Christmas Lecture is always a popular event and the 2006 lecture was no exception. It coincided with award of the Michael Barrett medal to Professor Paul van der Molen, the first time such an award has been made beyond the UK. In return the professor had to sing for his supper, and give us a lecture. His theme was ‘Tenure and Tools: two aspects of innovative land administration’, a wide-ranging lecture reviewing global land reform. Prof. van der Molen aimed with his presentation to elaborate on the changing concepts of land tenure and the changing design of land-administration systems as an attempt to better serve poverty reduction and economic growth. He gave examples of the, often difficult, relationship between indigenous systems of land ownership and property rights and imposed systems. He also highlighted the real need to achieve land redistribution in South Africa and the political consequences of failure to establish land rights in many developing countries. Lithuania was held up as an example of progress in the establishment of land rights and coherent mapping/administrative systems post-Soviet Bloc, and even North Korea was reviewed, providing rare insight into a closed society. Prof. van der Molen’s global tour was very much appreciated by the RICS audience, and the traditional festivities concluded in the bar, with the full international RICS geomatics faculty board and FIG delegation in attendance.

New FIG Premises

The FIG office has moved to new premises on the harbour front in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark. Our host, the Danish Association of Chartered Surveyors (DdL) has entered into an administrative and strategic co-operation with the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA) under the terms of which DdL will remain an independent professional association. But, as from January 2007, IDA will provide administration and counselling services for members at high professional level and much lower cost. In order both to profit from this new co-operation and to retain the benefits of the attractive hosting agreement between the FIG office and DdL, the office is following DdL with this move to the new premises. From here DdL will continue providing service facilities, including secretarial assistance when needed, free accommodation, meeting-room facilities, etc., but now in new and modern surroundings. The synergy of the closer co-operation between host DdL and IDA will also be available to FIG, which will benefit from the international atmosphere of a larger organisation and an environment of surveyors, engineers and other specialist groups working in engineering and technology within a modern professional association. The move will have no practical implications for FIG members. The FIG office will keep its present telephone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses, and the website remains at www.fig.net. The new address is International Federation of Surveyors, FIG, Kalvebod Brygge 31-33, DK-1780 Copenhagen V, Denmark.

Markku Villikka, director, FIG