This week, the UN-REDD Programme and Forest Carbon Partnership Facility presented initial findings from their joint Country Needs Assessment (CNA) at a global workshop in Colombia. The CNA report (available in English, French and Spanish) is now open for public comments until 6 July, 2012. All inputs are most welcomed and appreciated. Please send them to the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat.

Here are some initial reflections from participants at the CNA workshop:

“It was a very valuable exercise and we hope that this will not be a one-off exercise but ensuring follow up and sustainability of assessing needs in the different Phases of REDD+. Perhaps I would suggest that the questionnaire and matrix are developed to better capture variations between countries in view of governmental structure. PNG consists of a three-tier government system; the national-level agencies with a coordinating role of the country’s long-term national country policy mandate, the 22 provinces and then the districts. Within this structure we have different needs that could be better captured in any future follow-up assessment. I also feel that country/global coordination and communication of REDD+ initiatives are very important for progress of REDD+ at any country level.” – Rensie Panda, Policy Analyst, Office of Climate Change and Development, Papua New Guinea

“I think the workshop was productive and covered pertinent issues needed for future REDD+ initiatives. Tanzania is in the process to develop a national REDD+ strategy, safeguards, a national REDD+ fund and a climate fund, as well as a national carbon monitoring centre. The results from the study will be used as inputs in these undertakings.

“I believe that strengthened awareness of communities, land tenure, land use planning/environmental profiles, addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and sustainability of financial resources should be critically considered in the REDD+ process.” – Deusdedit Kamalamo Bwoyo, Coordinator of the National Forest and Beekeeping Programme, Government of Tanzania

“The workshop provided an insight into the needs of different countries with regard to support. It was interesting to see where countries, at different phases, were most in needed of support as it helps us to think through what requirements we will have in 12 months or two years’ time. It was also interesting to be able to discuss why different countries were prioritizing different areas of support and what challenges they had faced.” – Vathana Khun, Chief, National REDD+ Task Force Secretariat, Government of Cambodia

About these ads