The Oslo REDD Exchange 2016 shared ideas, experiences and perspectives among professionals and leaders working on reducing deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+).
Discussions focused on REDD+ implementation at national and subnational levels in light of the Paris Agreement, and cross-cutting themes, including on financing options, corporate supply chain commitments, indigenous peoples and monitoring technologies.
16 June 2016: The Oslo REDD Exchange 2016 shared ideas, experiences and perspectives among professionals and leaders working on reducing deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+). Discussions focused on REDD+ implementation at national and subnational levels in light of the Paris Agreement, and cross-cutting themes, including on financing options, corporate supply chain commitments, indigenous peoples and monitoring technologies.
In plenary sessions, participants at the meeting focused on REDD+ implementation at national and subnational levels, and international alliances and partnerships to support such implementation in forest-rich countries. Parallel sessions discussed case studies from Brazil and Indonesia, and regions including the Mayan region of Mexico, East Kalimantan in Indonesia and Mai Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The sessions also addressed: REDD+ integration in green economy with lessons from Ethiopia and Liberia; domestic and international options for results-based finance; ensuring mutual supportiveness between REDD+ and peace processes; advancing indigenous peoples’ rights through REDD; lessons from place-based initiatives on finance, tenure, gender and linkages to national programmes; jurisdictional implementation of supply chain commitments; and practical tools for monitoring and implementation. Participants engaged in voting exercises to identify the most promising ways forward.
In her opening remarks, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced that Norway will ratify the Paris Agreement, adding that ending deforestation is only possible if governments are involved. Participants also heard from Erik Solheim, current Chair of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and upcoming Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), who stressed the need to fight tropical deforestation in order to defeat climate change; and US Secretary of State John Kerry who said climate change is one of the defining challenges of this generation.
The Oslo REDD Exchange was held 14-15 June 2016, in Oslo, Norway. [Oslo REDD Exchange Event Webpage] [Video of Conference Plenary and Parallel Sessions]