Stakeholders Involvement, Indigenous Rights and Equity issues in REDD Susan Chomba Alternative to Slash and Burn (ASB) Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins (ASB)
Outline of presentation Introduction: The two sides of the REDD coin REDD stakeholder involvement Equity and rights issues under REDD Stakeholders, rights and equity under current REDD negotiations and other international instruments Conclusions : How do we achieve REDD and avoid doing harm?
The two sides of the REDD coin REDD has the potential to alleviate poverty, protect human rights, improve governance, conserve biodiversity and provide other cobenefits However, REDD also has the potential to generate (unintended) negative consequences for the poor and powerless if implemented without appropriate safeguards
REDD phased approach and key safeguards Phase Phase one: Phase two: Phase three: REDD Readiness Identification and prioritization of key policy and institutional capacity building Measures for both state and non state Development of MRVs, Putting in place enabling policies and measures that allow for the implementation of REDD Market mechanisms and performance based payments actors Safeguards Transparency Stakeholder MRV system Participation and representation platforms Social and environmental audits Governance and legality audits Free prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples MRV system Transparency full and effective participation of IPs, subject to free prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples Social and environmental audit Financial audit and accounting guidance from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board
REDD Stakeholder involvement: Why? Multi-stakeholder involvement in REDD contributes to equitable participation and diminishing potential conflicts Eliasch Review (2008): Multi-stakeholder dialogues: good models that can contribute to higher levels of trust between governments, the private sector, NGOs and community groups
REDD Stakeholder involvement: How? Stakeholder involvement should be built on the many national experiences in forest law enforcement and governance processes The process should include women, youth and indigenous peoples to ensure the 3E s: effectiveness, efficiency and equity
Who are the national & Sub-national REDD stakeholders? Government (national, provincial/state and local levels) and government agencies (e.g. ministries of environment and agriculture Environment law enforcement community such as forest guards, police and environmental enforcement agencies Multilaterals and the private sector (e.g. loggers, ranchers, energy producers) NGOS and civil societies, indigenous people and other vulnerable groups such as women & youth Local communities, pastoralists and farmers who depend of forests in one way ore the other for their livelihoods
Indigenous peoples rights and equity There are genuine concerns that indigenous and forest dependent communities will not benefit, or worse will suffer harm under REDD Bond et al. 2009 over 60 million indigenous people 400-500 million people who live in or close to forests and depend on them for survival
Equity and rights (& governance) issues under REDD Prof Elinor Ostrom The efficiency and equity of benefits from REDD will come from the presence of democratic processes. (adopted from Ribot J.C 2002)
Key Rights and Equity issues in REDD Rights as sellers of carbon and equity in distribution of carbon benefits Rights to forest land and continued use of forests to support livelihoods Rights to make decisions about management of the forests Equity in payment levels and terms vulnerable communities may be subjected to exploitative contracts.
So far, small scale REDD projects have demonstrated benefits to local communities, but e.g. Nhambita community forest project in Mozambique if and when REDD payments are implemented at much larger spatial scales and/or where governance is weak, facilitators and brokers will have to guard against elite capture and more attention will have to be given to strengthening the land tenure of local communities Bond et al. 2009
Stakeholders, rights and equity under current REDD negotiations Paragraph 1(b) (iii) of the Bali Action Plan (Policy approaches and positive incentives) In accordance with relevant international agreements[, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,] and taking into account national circumstances and legislation, respect the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples [,including their free, prior and informed consent,] and members of local communities and promote the full and effective participation of all relevant stakeholders in actions referred to in paragraphs 2 and 5 above
Some international human rights instruments relevant to REDD The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women The UN Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the so-called Aarhus Convention ) Principle 10 of the Rio declaration (1992) Source (Angelsen, 2008).
Conclusions : How do we achieve REDD and avoid doing harm? Ensure transparent, inclusive and accountable forest governance Encourage local process to clarify and strengthen tenure, property and carbon rights Harmonize REDD financial flows and national level implementation with other pre-existing international commitments
Conclusions contd Use multi-stakeholder dialogue to minimize conflict and promote trust Actively involve indigenous people and forest dependent communities in decision REDD decision making from design to implementation Governments to legitimize and finance community mapping and related social processes for negotiating and identifying local rights of ownership, access, management, and use in forest areas.
THANK YOU Merci