The UN-REDD Programme [1] is the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. The Programme was created in response to the UNFCCC decision on REDD at COP 13 and the Bali Action Plan, and builds on the convening power and expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The UN-REDD Programme supports nationally-led REDD+ processes and promotes the informed and meaningful involvement of all stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent communities, in national and international REDD+ implementation. The Programme also works to build international awareness and consensus about the importance of including REDD+ mechanisms in a future climate change agreement.
The UN-REDD Programme is not the sole entity assisting countries that wish to engage in REDD+ activities. Other initiatives include the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, the Global Environment Facility, Australia’s International Forest Carbon Initiative and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.
Norway continues to be the UN-REDD Programme’s first and largest donor. Since the Programme was launched in 2008, Norway has committed US$52.2 million for 2008-2009, and another US$31 million for 2010. In June 2009, Denmark became the second donor country to join the UN-REDD Programme, committing US$2 million and another US$6 million in November 2010. At the end of 2009, Spain announced its pledge of US$20.2 million to the Programme over a period of three years, and confirmed US$1.4 million for 2010 in November 2010. In March 2011, Japan made its first funding commitment to the Programme of US$3 million for the UN-REDD Global Programme and the European Commission pledged approximately US$14 million (€10 million).The UN-REDD Programme is now actively looking for more donors, to meet the increasing demand from countries seeking support from the Programme.[1]
In March 2011, the UN-REDD Programme released its annual Year in Review report for 2010 [2], which is available on the Programme's website (www.un-redd.org).
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The UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries to prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies and mechanisms. These actions help countries develop the capacity to implement REDD+ strategies and become "REDD-ready"; and provide practical experience and lessons learned that can inform the international dialogue on a post-2012 REDD+ mechanism.
The Programme currently has 36 partner countries spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, of which 13 are receiving support to National Programme activities. These 13 countries are: Bolivia, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ecuador, Indonesia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia. To-date, the UN-REDD Programme’s Policy Board has approved a total of US$55.4 million for its nine initial pilot countries and four new countries (Cambodia, Ecuador, the Philippines and Solomon Islands). These funds help to support the development and implementation of national REDD+ strategies. National Programmes in seven UN-REDD Programme countries are now in their implementation phase (Bolivia, DRC, Indonesia, Panama, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia).[3]
UN-REDD Programme countries not receiving direct support to national programmes engage with the Programme in a number of ways, including as observers to the Programme's Policy Board, and through participation in regional workshops and knowledge sharing, facilitated by the Programme’s interactive online workspace. These countries are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka and Sudan.[4]
At the international level, the UN-REDD Programme seeks to build consensus and knowledge about REDD+ and raise awareness about the importance of including a REDD+ mechanism in a post-2012 climate change agreement. It also provides opportunities for dialogue between governments, civil society organizations and technical experts, to ensure that REDD+ efforts are based on science and take into account the views and needs of all stakeholders.
The UN-REDD Programme brings together technical teams from around the world to develop common approaches, analyses and guidelines on issues such as measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon emissions and flows, remote sensing, and greenhouse gas inventories. It provides guidance on how best to design and implement REDD+, to ensure that forests continue to provide multiple benefits for livelihoods and biodiversity to societies while storing carbon at the same time. The Programme is also deeply committed to supporting the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Civil Society organizations in the design and implementation of REDD+ strategies.
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
Observers
Ex- officio member
This governance system ensures broad representation from a variety of voices.
Partners: