Asia Regional Workshop on REDD-plus after Cancun: Moving from Negotiation to Implementation

Building REDD-plus Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers

IISD, ASB-ICRAF, Norad and MARD Hanoi, 18-20 May 2011 Yam Malla, Executive Director Chandra Silori, Coordinator, Grassroots Capacity Building for REDD in Asia Regan Suzuki, Coordinator, REDD-net Asia Pacific Nguyen Quang Tan, Country Program Coordinator, Vietnam

RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests Bangkok, Thailand

RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests

• Independent not-for-profit

international organization

• Strategically positioned between

organizations that are responsible for field implementation of activities and those responsible for research that generates empirically-based knowledge

Local and indigenous people hold the key to healthier and better management of forests

• VISION: Local communities in

the Asia-Pacific region are actively involved in the equitable and ecologically sustainable management of forest landscapes

• MISSION: To enhance

capacities at all levels to assist people of the Asia Pacific region to develop CF and manage forest resources for optimum social, economic and environmental benefits

Core Functions - Capacity Building

Training Action Research Networks Advocacy Advisory Services

Target Audience and Approach

• Beneficiaries: local people, esp.

poorer households in and around forests

• Strengthening capacities of

concerned stakeholders at all levels

• Working with partners and

collaborators

• Developing accessible, flexible,

dynamic capacity-building tools

• Addressing practical needs • Using local language • Simplifying complex ideas

Geographical and Thematic Focus

Asia-Pacific region (> 20 countries) 6 focal countries Four thematic areas

People, Forest & Climate Change Expanding Community Forestry Livelihoods & Market Access Conflict Management

Three guiding principles

Clear and stronger rights Good governance Fair share of benefits

Cross-Cutting Issues

Gender and equity Environmental sustainability

People, Forests and Climate Change

REDD+ Related Initiatives

•

Community Forestry —a key strategy for addressing climate change and forest related issues (mitigation & adaptation)

° ° ° °

Analysis of policies and lessons from field implementation Using the knowledge/information for sharing and discussion at local, national, international meetings, conferences and workshops Disseminating knowledge through publications and other channels Incorporating new knowledge from own and other people’s work in capacity-building products and services

•

REDD+ Initiatives

° ° ° ° °

Grassroots Capacity Building for REDD in Asia-Pacific REDD-net Asia-Pacific REDD Learning Network ASEAN-RECOFTC-Swiss Partnership on SF and CC ForInfo

Safeguards and Free, Prior and Informed Consent

• REDD and other CC-Forest Initiatives ° Whose perspective? Whose agenda?

° How do different stakeholders view REDD+ and why?

• What policy implications?

° One possible negative outcome is re-centralization of forest management – thereby undermining:  CF’s three decades of achievements  Forest rights and benefits • Safeguards for what? What is FPIC and why?

° ° ° Areas with supportive policy framework  Realizing the forest rights and benefits Areas with no supportive policy framework  Focusing on policy and institutional reforms Various indigenous groups are proactively developing IP sensitive MRV processes and safeguards to ensure IP rights are upheld

Training and capacity building activities (2009-10)

• 64 trainings delivered • Over 2,000 participants involved

(over 800 females)

• 20 countries covered 9

Example 1: Grassroots capacity building for REDD+ in Asia

• Pilot trainings in 5 countries • National programs in 4 countries

– Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Nepal

° ° ° °

Training of trainers Awareness raising Material development Engaging local media

• Local language delivery of training

programmes

• ToT Manual developed in Nepali,

Laotian and Bahasa Indonesia languages

Example 2: Action Research

• Back up theories with practical evidence • Local-level mitigation and adaptation • Demonstrate, analyze and synthesize tools • Forest restoration, data generation,

incentives, alternative livelihoods

•

25+ analytical outputs

•

Policy briefs (6)

•

Media briefs (3)

• • •

Resear. article (10+) Resear. reports (5) Interactive bibliography & blog (1 each)

Example 3: Strengthening Regional Networks REDD-net Asia-Pacific

• Bridge b/w global and national networks,

facilitate constructive dialogue and harness enhanced interest in forest sector

• REDD+ through the civil society lens °

Supports Southern civil societies in promoting the interests of local people in REDD+ dealings

• Knowledge-sharing platform °

Sharing of knowledge, analysis, and tools to foster a better understanding of how REDD+ initiatives can address local needs

• Regional and global bulletins: Key themes ° ° ° °

Equity in REDD+ Trust in REDD+ Carbon Rights Benefit Sharing, Gender, Adaptation, Conflict, Opportunity costs

Example 4: Strengthening Regional Networks REDD Learning Network

• RECOFTC leads the Network in

eight countries as part of our work under the RAFT program

• Key stakeholders are informed

on latest REDD+ issues

• Contributes to the development

of national REDD+ scheme

° °

reduce poverty strengthen the rights of local people

• Decoding REDD Workshop Series

Example 4: Strengthening Regional Networks REDD Learning Network (cont…)

• • • ° ° °

Engaging media - Development of REDD+ Media Pack Media brief on an overview of REDD+ REDD decoding publications Carbon, conflict and communities

°

Press Conference at the UN Climate Change Talks in Tianjin, China Over 20 Chinese and international journalists

°

Media Training Workshop 12 journalists from South and East Asian countries, including 8 RAFT countries

Example 5: Advisory Services

• • •

Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in REDD+

° •

UN-REDD FPIC evaluation and verification toolkit developed with Asia Pacific IG and FPIC experts for UN-REDD global program Evaluation of FPIC processes using toolkit for UN-REDD Vietnam country program GIZ – Guidelines for FPIC applications

Way forward … future action research focus

• How social safeguards are defined and

applied under different socioeconomic and cultural settings?

• Role of indigenous knowledge ° Identify significant opportunities, constraints, and risks for adaptation and mitigation • What are risks and opportunities—will

REDD-plus escalate conflict in forestry sector?

• How to ensure equitable access to and

benefit sharing from carbon trade

• What is the cost of REDD+

Way forward … future policy focus

• Develop policies on safeguards

including roles of local communities in the FPIC process

• Review and learn from existing policies

on safeguards—FPIC in Philippines, various certification systems

• Create conducive policy environment

for good governance and stronger and clear forest rights of local communities

• Mechanism to avoid dilution or

misinterpretation of safeguards by participating countries

Conclusion

• Climate change-related forest strategies can succeed when they

complement, rather then conflict with, the forest peoples interests

• Community Forestry: °

Offers a basket of robust social safeguards

°

Helps building resilience and social and natural capital for local communities

°

Ensures both biodiversity conservation and social safeguards

• Community Forestry is a robust model to approach the current

question of REDD+ implementation

Thank You!

Healthy forests…

local people hold the key

Website: www.recoftc.org