Side Event

Achieving synergies between the CBD and UNFCCC: The potential for pro-poor REDD

Organizer
The Poverty and Environment Partnership

Date and Time
21 May 2008 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9)

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) was a prominent issue during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) latest Convention of the Parties (COP), which was held December 3-14, 2007, in Bali, Indonesia. One of the main outcomes of the Bali meetings was the endorsement of REDD by Parties, who called for the development of demonstration activities that could guide the eventual inclusion of REDD into the next commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. An important component of REDD is its relevance to other international conventions and agreements that deal with forests, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). As integral components of forest-related policies, local communities are central to the debate on REDD. Thanks partly to awareness raising activities carried out under the auspices of the Poverty and Environment Partnership (PEP), the need to take social and poverty aspects into consideration in the design and implementation of REDD was widely acknowledged. Indeed, the decision to move ahead with recognizes that “the needs of local and indigenous communities should be addressed” in REDD activities. Following the sharing of relevant experiences, the PEP is aiming to translate the lessons learned in Bali on how REDD might be made more ‘pro-poor’ into meaningful on-the-ground results. Thus, this side event is intended to take stock of the main outcomes from the Bali meetings as they relate to the sustainable implementation of REDD demonstration activities. The side event is intended to provide an open platform for discussing the potential implications for people and forests of the development of post-Bali REDD activities. The discussion will notably serve as an essential building block for further developing best practice guidelines for REDD.