Lombok , Indonesia – 25 June 2013
The English version of the 2012 Indonesia Forest, Land and REDD+ Governance Index (Participatory Governance Assessment Report) was launched on Tuesday, 25 June ahead of the UN-REDD Programme’s Tenth Policy Board meeting held in Lombok, Indonesia. This process provides an analysis of the country's current state of forest and land governance and the implications for the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+).
The report also offers a comprehensive analysis of the state of governance relevant for Indonesia’s REDD+ process in particular and forest governance in general; recommendations to address identified shortcomings; as well as information on the performance of selected governance issues at national, district and provincial levels.
Indonesia is the first among three other countries, Ecuador, Nigeria and Viet Nam, to have launched a comprehensive forest governance index, with support from the UN-REDD Programme.
The report covers Indonesia’s 10 provinces which account for more than half of the forested area in Indonesia. The one-year study was conducted in close consultation with the government from the REDD+ Task Force, Ministry of Forestry, the National Development Planning Board (BAPPENAS). Civil society and academia were also involved among others AMAN, the Epistema Institute and Walhi. The study of forestry governance index in Indonesia was led by UNDP Indonesia in the context of the UN-REDD Programme in collaboration with FAO and the UNDP Oslo Governance Center. It was also developed following intensive public consultations and with the assistance of leading academics and experts in the country.
Indonesia - deemed to be the country with the third largest tropical forest coverage in the world - has taken important positive steps to protect its forest. It is also one of the first countries to commit to a drastic 26% reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to a business-as-usual scenario, which in large part is caused by the degradation of its forest and peatlands.
Indonesia’s Forestry Minister, Zulkifli Hasan, said the launching of the forestry report could pave a way for Indonesia to become a model country for REDD+ implementation.
“I hope that Indonesia's experience in assessing its forest, land and REDD+ governance, along with that of a few other pilot countries, may become a model for other countries in implementing the forest, land, and REDD+ governance assesment,” Hasan said in his speech.
The UN-REDD Programme commends the Government of Indonesia for its political will on the forestry governance index.
Tim Clairs, UNDP Principal Technical Advisor for REDD+, has noted that “… we fully commemorate the courage of the Government of Indonesia to openly admit to the governance challenges identified. Coupled with the now comprehensive baseline data available, these are important first steps towards improved governance systems and structures.”
UNDP Indonesia Country Director, Beate Trankmann says the forest governance index reflects a commitment by the Government of Indonesia to address governance issue in the implementation of REDD+.
“It is a recognition that there is no addressing REDD+ without good governance. Good governance is about ensuring that public systems, institutions and laws to protect the forests and peatlands work effectively,” said Trankmann.
CONTACT DETAILS
Dr Sunaryo, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Forestry on Bureaucracy Reform, 0812 9911753.
Tina Solvberg, Governance Assessments Programme Officer | DGG and EEG, UNDP Oslo Governance Centre | Mobile: + 47 926 29 992
