1 December 2014: In support of discussions on REDD+ at the Lima Climate Change Conference, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) released a series of briefs on REDD+ safeguards. The first in the series examines social safeguards in Brazil, Indonesia and Tanzania.

Overall, the brief notes that there is a need for further support from the international community on safeguard indicators, data collection and reporting. The brief also suggests that funding options for safeguard information systems (SIS) are limited, thereby putting pressure on countries to implement low-cost and sustainable systems that also meet rigorous international requirements.

In terms of further challenges, the brief states that national scale reporting on safeguards that provides timely and comprehensive data must be balanced with the accuracy of information and on the ground realities. Such challenges may, according to the brief, be addressed if international consensus is reached at the twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the UNFCCC on expectations for SIS guidance.

Findings in the brief are based on an analysis of national media coverage of REDD+, country-level policies and processes for stakeholder engagement surrounding REDD+ safeguards and interviews on local experiences. CIFOR is part of the CGIAR Consortium. [Publication: The Evolution of REDD+ Social Safeguards in Brazil, Indonesia and Tanzania] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference]