A meeting in Cameroon this week ,and one in Vietnam next week, will see more than 120 African and Asian government negotiators, land managers, representatives of non-government organizations and climate change scientists enhance their skills and understanding of the REDD+ implementation process.

The meetings are hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Alternatives to Slash and Burn Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins (ASB) coordinated by the World Agroforestry Centre.

REDD+ is a climate change mitigation mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It goes beyond reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) to encompass sustainable management of forests, conservation and enhancement of carbon sinks in developing countries.

The 2010 Cancun agreements emphasized the need for nationally driven plans for effective implementation of REDD+. Given the complexity of the rapidly evolving subject, decision makers and key stakeholders need to be well equipped with the knowledge and skills required to formulate national strategies to ensure success of REDD+.

REDD+ after Cancun: moving from negotiation to implementation is the theme of the two-and-a-half day workshops to be held in Douala, Cameroon on May 10–12 and Hanoi, Vietnam on May 18–20 2011. They offer a series of expert presentations and in-depth discussions about the REDD+ process. Policy and technical topics will include:

• Safeguards—how to ensure REDD+ projects are implemented without causing harm to the communities and existing biodiversity
• Co-benefits—how countries can accrue other environmental and social benefits from REDD+ in addition to monetary value of projects
• Measurement, Reporting and Verification—best approaches for systems that guarantee integrity and transparency in the REDD+ implementation process.

“REDD+ planning needs to be consistent with sustainable development goals, to ensure economic, environmental and social benefits are included,” said Deborah Murphy, senior associate with IISD’s climate change and energy program.

“This is a follow-up to the REDD+ task force meeting we had in Manila early this year, which identified policy needs for key research areas with the overarching goal of drawing on country experiences and lessons learned to inform REDD+ development,” noted ASB global coordinator, Peter Minang.

The IISD-ASB workshop is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and will target participants from countries benefiting from the UN-REDD and Forest Carbon Partnership Facility programs. It is one in a series of training programs aimed at building REDD+ capacity for decision makers and other stakeholders in developing countries. These events will especially benefit from regional and international experts and facilitators who will explore priority areas and commonalities between these countries.

To allow for continued interaction and learning among participants and other key stakeholders, IISD and ASB have recently launched a web platform on Building REDD+ Capacity in Developing Countries that includes information on REDD+ initiatives and actions throughout Asia and Africa, lessons learned and critical issues moving forward.