Pro-poor REDD+ International negotiations and national REDD+ programmes: the current state of play IIED: What does it take to achieve pro-poor REDD+? Doha, 29 November 2012 Mette Loyche Wilkie UN-REDD Programme
Pro-poor REDD+ There are 870 Million hungry people in the world 70% of them live in rural areas Global population is expected to reach 9 Billion people by 2050 and agricultural production needs to increase by 60-70% Agricultural expansion is the main driver of deforestation Forests support the livelihoods of more than a billion people living in extreme poverty worldwide and provide paid employment for over 100 million people Poverty, food security and REDD+ are closely linked and we need to address them together UN-REDD P R O G R A M M E
International negotiations General references to existing rights and agreements Focus on IP and local communities (SBSTA 30, 2009) - not specifically on the poor Cancun Agreements (COP 16, 2010): Affirming the legitimate needs of developing country Parties for the achievement of sustained economic growth and the eradication of poverty, so as to be able to deal with climate change Noting resolution 10/4 of the United Nations Human Rights Council on human rights and climate change, which recognizes that the adverse effects of climate change have a range of direct and indirect implications for the effective enjoyment of human rights and that the effects of climate change will be felt most acutely by those segments of the population that are already vulnerable owing to geography, gender, age, indigenous or minority status, or disability UN-REDD P R O G R A M M E
REDD+ Safeguards REDD+ activities should (e.g.): Be consistent with Parties national sustainable development needs and goals Be implemented in the context of sustainable development and reducing poverty, while responding to climate change complement or be consistent with the objectives of national forest programmes and relevant international conventions and agreements Respect the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and members of local communities, by taking into account relevant international obligations (incl. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), national circumstances and laws Ensure the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, in particular indigenous peoples and local communities UN-REDD P R O G R A M M E
REDD+ discussions in Doha Strong focus on National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS) and Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Discussions on Reference Levels and Reference Emission Levels (RL/RELs), safeguards and drivers of deforestation likely to be postponed References to the importance of multiple benefits, safeguards and Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) Suggestions from some developing countries that resultsbased payments should cover also social & environmental benefits, but push back from some donors/industrialized countries UN-REDD P R O G R A M M E
REDD+ in action: The UN-REDD Programme The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries Established in 2008 by FAO, UNDP and UNEP delivering as One UN Aim: Support developing countries build capacity to participate in a future REDD+ mechanism
UN-REDD Partner countries
Work areas 6 Themes: MRV and forest monitoring REDD+ Governance Transparent, equitable and accountable management of REDD+ Payments Stakeholder engagement Multiple benefits and safeguards National REDD+ strategies and REDD+ as a catalyst for transformations to a Green Economy + Knowledge Management
Engaging stakeholders in decision making Policy Board: 9 UN REDD Programme partner countries reps (3 full members and 6 alternate members) 3 donor representatives 1 Civil Society (CSO) representative (and 3 observers) 1 Indigenous Peoples (IP) representative (and 3 regional representatives as observers) 3 UN-REDD Programme agency representatives MPTF Office (Ex officio)
Objective: To support effective stakeholder engagement with a focus on indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent peoples Contains guidance on : FCPF/UN-REDD Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines Importance of IPs and other forest-dependent communities Relevant FCPF and UN-REDD Programme Policies Principles for Effective Stakeholder Engagement Practical Steps for Carrying out Effective Consultations Relevant WB & UN Policies, Resources & Tools
Objective: Outline a normative, policy and operational framework to seek FPIC Contains guidance on: Guidelines on Free, Prior and Informed Consent Outline a normative, policy and operational framework to seek FPIC Definitions of the elements of FPIC UN-REDD Programme Policy on applying FPIC Operational framework for seeking FPIC
FPIC Trial, Lam Dong Province Vietnam was the first country to pilot FPIC for REDD+ in the UN-REDD Programme (2010) 5 months; 5,500 people; 78 villages, 24 FPIC trained facilitators FPIC for local/migrant ethnic minority people, migrant Kinh people
Social and Environmental Safeguards Objectives: Addressing social and environmental issues in UN-REDD National Programmes and other UN-REDD funded activities Supporting countries in developing national approaches to safeguards in line with the UNFCCC Approach: Technical support through the development of tools and guidance, including the Social and Environmental Principles and Criteria (SEPC), and direct support to countries
The Challenge: Social and environmental standards for REDD+ in DRC Account for social and environmental impacts The initiative: Led by Civil Society Consultations in six districts Innovative outreach process National workshop with international participants South-South exchange (Ecuador) Impact: Enhanced confidence on REDD+ potential by Congolese stakeholders Clear rules for projects and investors Increased confidence of donors
Participatory Governance Assessments for REDD+ Objective: Contribute to the development of national systems through consultative, participatory and inclusive processes, providing relevant information on how governance safeguards are promoted, addressed and respected Status: Pilot initiated in Nigeria and Indonesia, and concept notes currently being developed with Viet Nam and Ecuador
The Challenge: Tackling governance challenges in Indonesia Governance: A sensitive and emotional issue The initiative: Participatory Governance Assessment Government and Civil Society actors at national and provincial levels Monitoring access to information, hiring & promotion of staff and handling of criminal cases Impact: Ownership of process and trust in results Enhanced social accountability New space for frequent dialogue on sensitive issues
Other relevant work of the UN-REDD Programme Identifying and addressing drivers of deforestation Safeguards Information Systems Legal preparedness Tenure (Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of Food Security) Gender Benefit sharing Corruption prevention
Conclusions Limited reference to Pro-Poor REDD+ in international negotiations, but awareness is increasing Some positive steps being taken as regards stakeholder engagement in REDD+ decision making and implementation at local, national and international levels Guidance notes and lessons learnt are being shared Most countries are still in the first readiness phase A much more proactive approach to establishing synergies between REDD+, poverty alleviation, food security and sustainable livelihoods needs to be taken particularly when developing policies and measures and demonstration activities UN-REDD P R O G R A M M E
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