The Accra Caucus on Forests and Climate Change

ACCRA CAUCUS ON FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Civil Society Strategy Meeting
Accra, Ghana, 18-20 August 2008

PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES AS PRECONDITIONS FOR REDD

A group of approximately 40 representatives from civil society and Indigenous Peoples' organisations from nearly 30 countries met in Accra, Ghana from 18th to 20th August 2008, to discuss issues and concerns associated with Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). This document summarizes the main concerns of participants at the meeting. The participants also developed a proposal on principles and processes that should be considered in the discussions on REDD at the UNFCCC meetings in Accra and beyond.

MAIN CONCERN: The Parties should ensure that the development and implementation of REDD does not lead to negative social, environmental and other consequences including:

• Violation of Indigenous Peoples' and local communities' rights to lands, territories and resources; alienation of communities from their lands, forced evictions, and the prevention of access to forests and forest resources.

• State actors and carbon experts taking more control over the forest to the disadvantage of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, e.g. lack of meaningful participation by Indigenous Peoples and local communities and failure to obtain their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) in the implementation of REDD.

• Reinforcement of the mindset that the traditional practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are the causes of deforestation and forest degradation.

• Capture of international funds, available through the implementation of REDD, by big businesses, national and local elites, to the exclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who must play a critical role if REDD schemes are to be successful.

• Increase in and creation of new sources of conflict and corruption.

• Diversion of focus from the real causes of climate change, especially emissions in developed and industrialized nations.

PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES: to address the concerns listed above, the processes leading to the development and implementation of REDD, at a minimum, should be guided by the following principles:

• Recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to lands, territories and resources and their traditional uses of the forest. Implementation of REDD should not lead to displacement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities from their territories and lands.

"The Parties" refers to those countries that are Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

• REDD should not be used as a legal excuse for industrialized countries to continue polluting. It should be accompanied by deeper commitments from industrialized countries to reducing their own emissions.

• States wishing to participate in REDD implementation should be required to adopt and implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They should also ratify and implement ILO Convention 169 and the human rights covenants, as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity.

• Businesses that contribute to deforestation and forest degradation should not benefit from REDD mechanisms. REDD mechanisms must not provide opportunities for big businesses to exploit rainforest nations that participate in the scheme.

• Indigenous Peoples and local communities must be involved at all stages of decision-making about REDD, from the design to the implementation. Implementation of REDD, at both national and project levels, should obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) from Indigenous Peoples and local communities if using their territories and provide enabling environments for their meaningful participation at all levels.

• Indigenous peoples and local communities should benefit from their conservation efforts.

• Where needed, any legal and institutional reforms required for effective implementation of REDD must fully involve Indigenous Peoples and local communities at all levels.

• Indigenous Peoples and local communities should be the primary and direct beneficiaries of financing mechanisms for REDD where their lands, territories and resources are concerned. There should be minimum standards for benefit sharing, to guide the development of country-specific benefit sharing mechanisms, developed with full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

• REDD should be designed in a way that avoids creating conflicts. National level REDD implementation strategies should include conflict resolution and grievance mechanisms.

• › Rainforests and Climate Change

• › Rainforests and Climate Change