The monitoring of land issues performs different, often multiple, functions for different types of organizations and different
sectors. These functions include:

• Monitoring commitments by states
• Supporting policy advocacy
• Informing fund allocation
• Tracking progress in implementation
• Stimulating dialogue and democratic debate
• Empowering grassroots stakeholders.

No single system can meet the requirements of all actors, and no individual organization is institutionally capable of performing all these functions. There are significant opportunities for collaboration on common monitoring systems, yet there is also a need to recognise the value of different, parallel monitoring activities that are neither contradictory nor redundant, but rather complementary in enhancing land governance in the broad sense.