IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN’s work on REDD+ is based on its value proposition, which includes providing credible and trusted knowledge, the building of partnerships and influencing standards and practices. It also demonstrates leadership and ensures influence at different levels through the linking of global and local processes. IUCN’s work on REDD+ concentrates on providing support for pro-poor REDD options and the building of an international community of practice. Research and capacity building on the ground inform IUCN’s work on influencing global REDD+ negotiations as well as national policy making processes. The work of the Union has a special focus on the issues of forest degradation and the role of indigenous peoples and women.

IUCN works both at the national as well as at the landscape level and influences REDD+ at the international and regional levels through the engagement of negotiators at formal and preparatory meetings of the UNFCCC as well as bilateral and multilateral processes. IUCN works on REDD+ in the following areas:

• Promoting a pro-poor approach in the development and implementation of national REDD+ strategies;
• Building a community of practitioners on REDD+;
• Promoting the second ‘D’ of REDD+ that stands for forest degradation;
• Analyzing of financial frameworks for REDD+ and benefit sharing options;
• Promoting the role of indigenous peoples and forest communities on REDD+;
• Highlighting and promoting the role of women in all phases of REDD+.

The Pro-poor REDD+ Project

IUCN promotes pro-poor REDD+ options and with the support of DANIDA currently supports the development of pro-poor options as part of national REDD+ readiness processes in five forest countries. The aim of this project is the strengthening and shaping of pro-poor options and elements as core principles of national REDD+ actions and strategies of Ghana, Guatemala, Uganda, Cameroon and Papua Province in Indonesia.

Pro-poor approaches for REDD+ draw attention to the interests of forest dependent people and the need for REDD+ not to harm vulnerable groups but instead to strengthen their livelihoods and rights. Particular importance is given to the interests of indigenous peoples and other local communities and to other vulnerable groups such as women. Their equitable participation and consultation has to be ensured as part of national REDD+ planning.

Pilots that are part of the project in each country focus on activities such as the participatory assessment of the causes of deforestation and degradation; the strengthening of the participation of vulnerable groups in the defining of REDD+ activities; participatory processes for the definition and clarification of property boundaries, discussions about carbon rights; analyses of the impacts that REDD+ can have on the livelihoods of forest communities and the defining and monitoring of social baselines as indicators of the impact of REDD+ in forest communities.

The project works on the defining and testing of pro-poor principles. IUCN is in the process of defining the pro-poor strategy and the pro-poor elements of such a strategy. While the work is still in progress, the pro-poor strategy is proposed to include:

• Forest governance and REDD+: Synergies
• Multi-stakeholder processes: Broad participation
• Trees and carbon: Rights and tenure
• Deforestation and forest degradation: Drivers
• Participatory processes for defining REDD+ priority areas and REDD+ activities
• National framework for the preparation of REDD+: Nested approach.
• Dependence of people’s livelihoods on forest in rural areas: Impacts on livelihoods
• Transparent and equitable distribution: Systems for Benefit Sharing
• Social and environmental impacts: Safeguards.

Click here to read more about IUCN’s thematic work on REDD+