REDD+ partnerships: National workshops for government & civil society

Forest-dependent people, particularly indigenous peoples and local communities, have a crucial role to play in climate change mitigation. This was a message echoed loudly and clearly at COP15 and other international events last year.

In Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, a number of REDD+ pilot projects are already planned or underway. Government and civil society have started to work together through initiatives such as UN-REDD to form national-level working groups and multistakeholder networks for the planning, and eventually REDD+ implementation. REDD+ has developed steadily from an innovative idea towards a practical reality, but there is still some way to go before it can be fully implemented. Both government institutions and civil society organizations, working closely together, are essential to realize the potential environmental, social, and economic benefits of REDD+.

Keeping up to date with the latest developments is challenging. Within the contexts of each country, there are numerous links between REDD+, wider forestry issues, and non-forest sectors. Coordination between all institutions and stakeholders with an interest in the forest sector is needed to develop the frame conditions in terms of rights, benefits, and governance, necessary for REDD+ to succeed.

The workshops

To help meet these challenges, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests organized three national-level workshops in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam in February and March 2010. The aim was to build government and civil society awareness on REDD+; to foster and strengthen national REDD+ networks; and to identify and address critical capacity-building needs.

Key government and civil society participants came together for three days of learning, sharing, and planning.

The workshops were delivered in national languages and adapted to the national context, and were guided by the following questions:

• What drives deforestation and forest degradation, and what are the potential responses?
• What is REDD+, how did it evolve, and what are its key concepts?
• How can REDD+ work on the ground?
• What is the national situation on REDD readiness, and what are the next steps?

Contact:

Mr. Toon De Bruyn

Senior Program Officer

E-mail: toon.debruyn(at)recoftc.org