January 2014: The UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (UN-REDD) has released the results of targeted support to strengthen the participation of indigenous peoples in REDD+ in Peru.

According to the report, the objective of the project was to strengthen the informed participation of indigenous peoples and other civil society groups and institutions in the preparatory phase of REDD+. This included supporting the design of participatory methods to guarantee the fair engagement of these stakeholders. The report highlights four elements from the project: participation; benefits distribution; corruption risks and anti-corruption opportunities; and safeguards.

With regards to participation, the report notes the importance of both increasing the number of people engaged in the project, and ensuring that participation is a fully funded component of REDD+ readiness. Benefits distribution emphasized the need to multi-sector cooperation, as well as clear and transparent legal frameworks for contracts and stakeholder analysis.

Work on corruption resulted in the development of a corruption matrix and the recognition of the need to involve and protect a broad range of stakeholders. Finally, safeguards were supported through the development of a mechanism through which indigenous peoples can monitor and report on safeguards recognizing the importance of existing indigenous peoples’ systems for monitoring and social control.

The project covered by the report, ‘Strengthening Indigenous Peoples Capacities for their Informed Participation in the Design and Implementation of a REDD+ Mechanism in Peru,’ was carried out between July 2012 and December 2013 in collaboration with the Government of Peru, the Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP or the Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest), and the Confederación de Nacionalidades Amazónicas del Perú (CONAP or the Alliance of Amazonian Nationalities of Peru). [Publication: Strengthening Indigenous Peoples Capacities for their Informed Participation in the Design and Implementation of a REDD+ Mechanism in Peru]