The UN-REDD Programme and the GEF Small Grants Programme would like to invite you to participate in an E-consultation on Community Based REDD+ Initiative to be held from 22nd September to 20th October to provide inputs on a the potential 2nd Phase of CBR+, outlined in a Draft Proposal.

In 2013, the UN-REDD Programme established the Community-based REDD+ initiative (CBR+), one of the pioneering schemes for community action in the REDD+ domain. Its main objective was to enhance the engagement and inclusion of indigenous peoples and forest communities in national REDD+ processes, thus providing grassroots experiences and perspectives into national policy for REDD+.

Financed with USD 4 million from the Government of Norway and matched with an equal by the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), CBR+ was implemented in 6 pilot countries by UNDP, combining the technical support of its Climate & Forests Team and the existing operational architecture of the SGP. CBR+ financed over 100 community projects and supported policy dialogue, capacity building and knowledge management towards inclusive and rights-responsive REDD+ action in the beneficiary countries.

Following the success of the first phase of CBR+ initiative, representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities, REDD+ stakeholders, governments and UN-REDD Executive Board members have called for a new phase, seeking to extent the meaningful impact of CBR+ as a catalyst for enhanced community-government partnerships for REDD+.

In response to this request and recognizing that the inclusion of indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ voices, interests and practices into national and international decision-making processes is more important than ever, the UN-REDD Programme and SGP have developed a proposal to explore options for building on the success of the first phase of CBR+.

This e-discussion presents a unique opportunity to make your voice heard, and to influence how the second phase of CBR+ will be designed and implemented. We invite you to bring new thoughts and ideas to this important initiative, drawing on your experiences, and help make a difference on the inclusion of indigenous peoples and local communities in decision-making processes.

The e-discussion will address the following topics:

1. The second phase of CBR+ proposes three policy avenues: a shift to REDD+ implementation and REDD+ finance; nationally determined contributions (NDCs) as a tool for driving action; and the new global platform on local communities and indigenous peoples (LCIP). Do you believe these policy recommendations are useful and appropriate for a second phase of CBR+? Can you suggest other policy entry points that based on your respective experiences are more relevant?
2. What measures and criteria can be put in place to identify and select country participants of the second phase of CBR+?
3. Can you share any examples of experiences, lessons learned and success stories from the first phase of CBR+ (on community actions, policy dialogues, etc.) or any other similar initiatives that can be considered and scaled up for the second phase?

We hope you will make use of this opportunity to contribute this valuable e-discussion that will contribute to a better support and empowerment of indigenous peoples and forest communities to implement and monitor national/subnational policies and commitments for REDD+ results.

We also encourage you to forward this invitation to colleagues who may be interested in following or participating in the discussion.

Please send all written comments and queries to:
Jennifer Laughlin
Global Technical Specialist
UNDP Climate and Forests Team & SGP
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The deadline to submit comments is by 20 October 2019.