1 December, 2011: The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), with support from the UN-REDD Programme through the UN Environment Programme, has launched an interim policy brief on a project on the strengths and gaps in capacity building services for REDD+ readiness in a sample of Asia-Pacific countries.The study, conducted in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, provides an overview of capacity building service providers, outlines strengths and gaps, and makes recommendations to address these gaps. The Brief highlights the increased awareness of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), while outlining the gaps that remain to be addressed in order to meet national REDD+ planning objectives in the region. These gaps include, inter alia, inadequate training in REDD+ fund management and benefit sharing, few capacity building service providers engaging in developing national REDD+ baselines or in calculating the costs versus benefits of REDD+, and not enough awareness raising services being provided in local and tribal languages. The Brief states that REDD+ readiness programs in the region are often dictated by the competencies and networks of the organizations leading capacity building, rather than by the most pressing needs of each country. [Publication: REDD+ in Asia-Pacific: Are capacity building services meeting countries’ needs?]