Yam Malla, Executive DirectorChandra Silori, Coordinator, Grassroots Capacity Building for REDD in AsiaRegan Suzuki, Coordinator, REDD-net Asia PacificNguyen Quang Tan, Country Program Coordinator, Vietnam

Asia Regional Workshop on REDD-plus after Cancun: Moving from Negotiation to ImplementationBuilding REDD-plus Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers

IISD, ASB-ICRAF, Norad and MARDHanoi, 18-20 May 2011RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests Bangkok, Thailand

RECOFTC The Center for People and ForestsIndependent 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 forestsVISION: 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 BuildingAdvocacy

Networks

Training

Advisory ServicesAction Research

Target Audience and ApproachBeneficiaries: local people, esp. poorer households in and around forestsStrengthening capacities of concerned stakeholders at all levels Working with partners and collaboratorsDeveloping accessible, flexible, dynamic capacity-building toolsAddressing practical needsUsing local languageSimplifying complex ideas

Geographical and Thematic FocusAsia-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 ChangeREDD+ Related InitiativesCommunity Forestrya key strategy for addressing climate change and forest related issues (mitigation & adaptation)Analysis of policies and lessons from field implementationUsing the knowledge/information for sharing and discussion at local, national, international meetings, conferences and workshopsDisseminating knowledge through publications and other channelsIncorporating new knowledge from own and other peoples work in capacity-building products and services

REDD+ InitiativesGrassroots Capacity Building for REDD in Asia-PacificREDD-net Asia-PacificREDD Learning NetworkASEAN-RECOFTC-Swiss Partnership on SF and CCForInfo

Safeguards and Free, Prior and Informed Consent REDD and other CC-Forest InitiativesWhose 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:CFs three decades of achievementsForest rights and benefitsSafeguards for what? What is FPIC and why? Areas with supportive policy frameworkRealizing the forest rights and benefitsAreas with no supportive policy frameworkFocusing on policy and institutional reformsVarious 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 deliveredOver 2,000 participants involved (over 800 females)20 countries covered

Example 1: Grassroots capacity building for REDD+ in AsiaPilot trainings in 5 countriesNational programs in 4 countries Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and NepalTraining of trainersAwareness raisingMaterial developmentEngaging local media Local language delivery of training programmesToT Manual developed in Nepali, Laotian and Bahasa Indonesia languages

Example 2: Action ResearchBack up theories with practical evidenceLocal-level mitigation and adaptationDemonstrate, analyze and synthesize toolsForest restoration, data generation, incentives, alternative livelihoods25+ analytical outputsPolicy briefs (6)Media briefs (3)Resear. article (10+)Resear. reports (5)Interactive bibliography & blog (1 each)

Example 3: Strengthening Regional NetworksREDD-net Asia-PacificBridge b/w global and national networks, facilitate constructive dialogue and harness enhanced interest in forest sectorREDD+ through the civil society lensSupports 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 themesEquity in REDD+ Trust in REDD+Carbon RightsBenefit Sharing, Gender, Adaptation, Conflict, Opportunity costs

Example 4: Strengthening Regional Networks REDD Learning NetworkRECOFTC leads the Network in eight countries as part of our work under the RAFT program Key stakeholders are informed on latest REDD+ issuesContributes to the development of national REDD+ schemereduce poverty strengthen the rights of local peopleDecoding 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 communitiesPress Conference at the UN Climate Change Talks in Tianjin, ChinaOver 20 Chinese and international journalists Media Training Workshop12 journalists from South and East Asian countries, including 8 RAFT countries

Example 5: Advisory ServicesFree, 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 programEvaluation of FPIC processes using toolkit for UN-REDD Vietnam country programGIZ Guidelines for FPIC applications

Way forward future action research focusHow social safeguards are defined and applied under different socioeconomic and cultural settings?Role of indigenous knowledgeIdentify significant opportunities, constraints, and risks for adaptation and mitigation What are risks and opportunitieswill 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 focusDevelop policies on safeguards including roles of local communities in the FPIC processReview and learn from existing policies on safeguardsFPIC in Philippines, various certification systems Create conducive policy environment for good governance and stronger and clear forest rights of local communitiesMechanism 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 safeguardsHelps building resilience and social and natural capital for local communitiesEnsures both biodiversity conservation and social safeguards Community Forestry is a robust model to approach the current question of REDD+ implementation

Website: www.recoftc.org Thank You!Healthy forestslocal people hold the key