REDD+ as part of the global climate change solution continues to evolve at a rapid pace. On 11 March, 54 countries from the world’s major forest basins gathered in Paris to begin defining an interim REDD+ partnership which will feed into the REDD+ negotiations already underway in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). More donors came to the table, and many of them pledged to devote at least 20 per cent of their fast-start funding under the Copenhagen Accord to REDD+.
There may be different views on the best way to develop an interim arrangement but there is wide consensus about the need to keep the REDD+ agenda moving forward. Participants at the Paris meeting stressed the need to implement REDD+ strategies in a faster, more coordinated way and preparations are already in full swing for a follow-up meeting in Oslo at the end of May.
Against this backdrop, the UN-REDD Programme stands ready to meet the call for greater coordination. Over the past few months, the Programme has deepened its partnership and collaboration with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) to respond to the calls for simpler, more efficient REDD+ implementation. A shining example of this is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the country was able to recently present the same Readiness Preparation Proposal (RPP) to both initiatives which was in turn approved by both, paving the way for a more unified REDD+ processes. The Programme is also working closely with the Forest Investment Program (FIP) and other initiatives to ensure that REDD+ efforts are coordinated and efficient.
During its fourth Policy Board meeting in Nairobi mid-March, the UN-REDD Programme passed a resolution to create a collaborative platform with FCPF for sharing country experiences and lessons as well as policy discussions. This resolution was also endorsed at the FCPF’s Participants Committee meeting a week later in Gabon. A second key decision taken by the governing bodies of the two initiatives was to explore how to optimize delivery of REDD+ readiness at the country level through multiple delivery partners.
These critical decisions demonstrate that the UN-REDD Programme, together with the FCPF and other partners, is not only listening to the calls for greater efficiency, but also taking action to design the best way forward for REDD+. We believe we are well-positioned to play a significant role in any interim REDD+ partnership, and we remain deeply committed to servicing the needs of countries in their REDD+ readiness efforts.
Yemi Katerere
Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat
