31 March 2014: The Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) has reported on the outcomes of the REDD+ partners platform meeting, which considered progress and next steps for REDD+ in the Congo Basin with a particular focus on Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Gabon.

In reviewing progress, meeting participants highlighted improved communication and awareness raising on REDD+ including at the local level, increased capacity for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), strengthened links between climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the development of allometric equations and databases on carbon stocks in preparation for results-based payments.

Overall, the meeting concluded that the platform is a useful forum for coordination, however further work could be done with regard to gathering and disseminating national and local experiences in REDD+. The meeting also called for greater coordination between partners and the Commission des Forêts d’ Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) administration and suggested that a guidance document be published on the rules and mechanisms for REDD+ in the region.

The meeting brought together representatives from projects implemented by the CBFP, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), COMIFAC, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). [CBFP Press Release] [Meeting Website (French)]