The May issue of the UN-REDD Newsletter opens with an article by Yemi Katerere, Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat, who outlines why leaders and experts at Rio+20 must keep forests, and strategies such as REDD+, central in their discussions.
It also features articles on anti-corruption efforts in Africa, the first South-South Exchange on Participatory Governance Assessment (PGA) for REDD+ in Asia-Pacific and work with indigenous peoples.
23 May 2012: The May issue of the UN-REDD Programme Newsletter contains several articles on governance, tenure and anti-corruption measures related to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+).
The newsletter opens with an article by Yemi Katerere, Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat, who outlines why leaders and experts at the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) must keep forests, and strategies such as REDD+, central in their discussions and future action plans for sustainable development.
The newsletter reports on a workshop titled “Strengthening Transparency and Accountability for REDD+ in Africa,” held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 24-26 April 2012, which addressed African cooperation for anti-corruption efforts related to REDD+. It also highlights that the UN-REDD Programme supported the first South-South Exchange on Participatory Governance Assessment (PGA) for REDD+, which established a community of practice in Asia-Pacific to strengthen REDD+ governance efforts.
Three articles provide updates on UN-REDD’s work with indigenous peoples, including: a regional exchange on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Indonesia hosted by UN-REDD; the contribution by UN-REDD to a Pan Africa Indigenous Peoples Dialogue in Tanzania; and the progress report by UN-REDD on FPIC at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). The issue also addresses the approval by the Mexican Senate of a set of legal amendments that set a new precedent for empowering local communities to address deforestation.
The newsletter also features and article on the endorsement, on 11 May 2012, by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) of the new Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests, which outline principles and practices that governments can refer to when making laws and administering land, fisheries and forests rights. [Publication: UN-REDD May 2012 Newsletter]