UN-REDD

Overview

The UN-REDD Programme , or " United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries" is a collaborative partnership between the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

It seeks to contribute to the development of capacity for implementing REDD - Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation- and to support the international dialogue for the inclusion of a REDD mechanism in a post-2012 (post Kyoto protocol) climate regime, negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The UN-REDD Programme is not the sole entity assisting countries that wish to engage in REDD activities. Other initiatives include for example the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, the Global Environment Facility Tropical Forest Account, Australia’s International Forest Carbon Initiative and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

The UN-REDD Programme works at both the national and global scale, through support mechanisms for country-driven REDD strategies and international consensus-building on REDD processes.

National Programmes

The UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries to prepare and implement national REDD strategies and mechanisms. These actions 1) help develop the countries capacity to implement REDD strategies and be "REDD-ready" and 2) provide practical experience and lessons learned that can inform the international dialogue on a post-2012 REDD mechanism.

Are supported by the UN-REDD Programme:

* 3 countries from Africa (the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia)
* 3 countries from Asia and the Pacific (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Viet Nam)
* 3 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean (Bolivia, Panama and Paraguay).

The UN-REDD Programme supports these countries in managing their REDD processes by assisting them to :

* identify ways to address their specific drivers of deforestation
* develop methods and tools for measuring and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions
* facilitate the participation of national stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and Civil Society Organizations
* access financial and technical assistance.

Priority is given to developing sustainable national multisectoral approaches with broad stakeholder engagement that promote equitable outcomes and to ensuring that countries use reliable methodologies to assess emission reductions. In some countries, key elements of delivering emission reductions – such as REDD payment structuring and distribution options - are also tested.

In March 2009, 18 million dollars were approved by the UN-REDD Programme Policy Board, supporting action plans to assist the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and Viet Nam to prepare for the inclusion of REDD in a new climate deal.

Activities of the Global Programme

At the global level, the UN-REDD Programme supports country efforts to build consensus and knowledge, and ensures consistency in approaches and economies of scale in the delivery of REDD.

The Programme actively explores and documents examples of “best practices”. These activities seek to promote confidence-building in REDD and raise awareness about the options for including a REDD mechanism in a post 2012 regime. The four specific outcomes of the UN-REDD Programme activities at the global level are:

1) Improved guidance on Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) approaches, including consensus on principles and guidelines for MRV and training programmes.

2) Increased engagement of stakeholders in the REDD agenda, including raising awareness of REDD amongst stakeholders, ensuring Indigenous Peoples representative groups and non-Annex 1 decisionmakers are informed and engaged.

3) Improved analytical and technical framework of social and environmental benefits maximising the contribution of REDD to sustainable development, including the establishment of indicators to assess governance and socio-economic factors in national REDD frameworks, and developing tools to capture the benefits arising from forest ecosystem services.

4) Increased confidence in REDD amongst decision makers on the feasibility of methodologies and the implementation of REDD, through coordination within agencies and with partners,as well as through knowledge management and sharing and support to partner countries.

Organization and Governance

The Policy Board of the UN-REDD Programme convenes at least twice a year to decide on the strategic orientations and budget allocations of the Programme. Meetings are co-chaired by a representative from a UN-REDD Programme country and a representative from either FAO, UNDP or UNEP. The composition of the Board is :

Members

* One representative per UN agency (FAO, UNDP, UNEP)
* One representative per UN-REDD Programme country, up to 9
* One Indigenous Peoples representative (currently the chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues)
* One representative from a Civil Society Organization
* One representative per donor country, up to 3

Observers

* Three Indigenous Peoples representatives (from the 3 regions Africa, Asia & the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean), self-selected
* Three representatives from Civil Society Organizations (from the regions above, plus an NGO from an industrialized country)
* UNFCCC Secretariat
* Forest Carbon Partnership Facility represented by the World Bank
* GEF Secretariat

Ex- officio member

* Multi Donor Trust Fund Office, UNDP

This governance system ensures broad representation from a variety of voices.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/