FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  What is REDD+?
A:  REDD stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. This mechanism is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests.  It offers incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.  The term REDD+ goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation.  After United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 13^th Conference of the Parties (COP 13 in Bali, 2007) and COP 15 in Copenhagen (2009), the term includes three additional aspects; the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Q:  What is UN-REDD?
A:  After COP 13 in Bali 2007, through Bali Action Plan, Parties are encouraged to participate in REDD+ initiatives.  UN-REDD or United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation is a partnership between Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  The Programme is developed as an answer to Bali Action Plan and aims to support developing countries with tropical forests to get ready to participate in REDD+ mechanism implementation.

Around the world, UN-REDD fully supports 9 (nine) pilot countries; Bolivia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia.  UN-REDD also supports 18 (eighteen) partner countries;  Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, The Philippines, Republic of Congo, The Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka and Sudan.

Q:  What does UN-REDD Programme Indonesia do?
A: UN-REDD Programme Indonesia works to support the Government of Indonesia (GoI) through the Ministry of Forestry, in their efforts to achieve REDD+ readiness. The Programme receives and manages a total fund of US$ 5,6 million, donated by the The Royal Government of Norway through the three United Nations Organization’s (UN) agencies (FAO, UNDP and UNEP).

In particular, UN-REDD Programme Indonesia works to achieve:

• Strong multi-stakeholder participation and consensus at national level 
• Successful demonstration of establishing a Reference Emissions Level (REL), a Monitoring, Assessment, Reporting and Verification System (MRV) and fair payment systems based on the national REDD+ architecture
• Capacity to implement REDD+ at decentralized levels

In order to achieve a national REDD+ implementation readiness, it is essential that a UN-REDD Programme establish a basic stock of practical experiences related to REDD+ through demonstration activity.

Q:  How long does UN-REDD Programme Indonesia operate in Indonesia?
A: On a national level, there are three phases to implement REDD+ in Indonesia; preparation, readiness and implementation.  Indonesia accomplished the preparation phase between 2008 and 2009, enters the readiness phase in 2010 – 2012, and should start implementing in 2012.

As UN-REDD Programme Indonesia is an initiative with a limited period, and not a non-government organization, it operates during an agreed period.  According to the signed Project Document, it started in March 2010 and ends in June 2012.  REDD+ activities in pilot province (Central Sulawesi) will be continued by the Provincial Government of Central Sulawesi after that period.  That is why that the emphasis UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s activities is capacity building in pilot province.

Q:  What is REDD+Task Force?
A:  The National REDD+ Task Force was established by the President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, after the signing of Letter of Intent (LoI) to reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions level  by the Government of Indonesia (GoI) and The Royal Government of Norway (May 26, 2010). On September 20, 2010, the President assigned the Special Delivery Unit under the office of the President (called UKP4) to be the Task Force to oversee the establishment of a REDD+ agency and the completion of a national REDD+ strategy, also to improve coordination between government and ministries. The Task Force is chaired by Dr. Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, who is also the chairman of UKP4.

Under  the LoI, Norway pledges a total funding assistance to the GoI, amounted to US$ 1 billion, and this would be implemented in three phases, starting from 2010 to 2016; 1) preparation, 2) readiness, 3) implementation.   The LoI requires a “province-wide REDD+ pilot” to demonstrate REDD+ components in the early implementation phase.  In this framework, on December 23, 2010, the President selected Central Kalimantan to be the GoI’s pilot province under the US$ 1 billion LoI.   For this purpose, the Task Force signed a Memo of Understanding (MoM) with the Government of Central Kalimantan on September 16, 2011.

Q:  What is a REDD+ pilot province?
A:  At the 13^th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP13) held in Bali in 2007, Decision no. 2 stated that developing and developed countries were to cooperate in efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, including financial support, capacity building, and technology transfer from developed countries.

In addition, demonstration activities (DAs) for REDD+ are to serve as a learning-by-doing process and a means to build commitment and synergy among stakeholders.  Therefore, the development of a REDD+ DA is an important component in the Readiness Strategy of REDD+ in Indonesia, and includes the implementation of various activities related to methodology, policy, and stakeholder engagement.  In Indonesia, the UN-REDD Programme’s DA takes place in a pilot province.  A pilot province is chosen as a demonstration location to model and monitor progress towards national REDD+ readiness.

Q:  Where is the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s pilot province? Is it the same location as the Government of Indonesia’s (GoI) pilot province under the Letter of Intent (LoI) between Norway and Indonesia?
A:  The UN-REDD Programme Indonesia has selected Central Sulawesi as their pilot province, whereas the Government of Indonesia has selected Central Kalimantan as its pilot province under the USD 1billion LoI, and this is managed by the National REDD+ Task Force.  This means that Central Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan are two different pilot provinces managed by two different initiatives: the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia, and the GoI.

The selection of Central Sulawesi as the Programme’s pilot province in May 2010 was based on selection criteria agreed upon in the Joint Programme Document signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry (2009). Their decision was based on the following:

• Deforestation has occurred but significant forest cover remains.
• Carbon density is relatively high
• Local political support is strong
• Local capacity is sufficient to generate rapid results
• Drivers  of deforestation can be addressed relatively easily
• REDD+ can result in significant co benefits within the chosen location

The selection of Central Sulawesi is also in alignment with the national government preferences and locations for other initiatives (based on agreements reached in IFCA on criteria for demonstration site selection and the national policy on REDD+ demonstrations and UN-REDD objectives).

The pilot province in Central Sulawesi is only one of a number of undertakings in the progress towards REDD+ readiness in Indonesia.

Q:  What is the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s main activity in Central Sulawesi?
A:  Since Central Sulawesi was selected as its pilot province in May 2010, the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia has conducted various activities in accordance with its mandate to build the province’s capacity and to test REDD+ methodologies for Indonesia’s REDD+ readiness.  This has been done by developing the following REDD+ readiness components at the provincial, and then district levels:

• Strategy:  The development of the Provincial  REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan.
• Institutions: Establishing administrative offices at the provincial and district levels.
• Methodology:  The development of MRV & REL frameworks, as well as Payment Mechanism Options.
• Safeguards:  The development of a FPIC framework, as well as the development of co-benefits toolkit.
• Demonstration Activities:  The development of criteria and indicators to select district and project sites.
• Capacity building:  Training the trainers for REDD+ activities and information dissemination.

Q:  Who runs REDD+ activities in Central Sulawesi?
A:  As stated in the letter signed by the Governor of Central Sulawesi on September 29, 2010, the centre of the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s activities in Central Sulawesi is the Provincial Forestry Office.  To ensure inclusiveness, build stakeholder capacity, and to create a sense of ownership by the stakeholders, the Forestry Service is working closely with the Central Sulawesi REDD+ Working Group. This was formed to coordinate REDD+ activities in Central Sulawesi and consists of stakeholders’ representatives.   This cooperation means the Working Group has become the main vehicle for REDD+ activities in Central Sulawesi.

The Central Sulawesi REDD+ Working Group has been active since its affirmation by the Governor of Central Sulawesi’s Decision Letter no. 522/84/Dishutda – G.ST/2011, on February 18, 2011, and the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia is now actively supporting the Working Group’s programs.

Q:  Who are the members of the Central Sulawesi REDD+ Working Group?
A: The Central Sulawesi REDD+ Working Group has 77 members, with representation from all the main stakeholders, including the provincial government, universities, local communities, indigenous peoples, CSOs, and the private sector.  Central Sulawesi’s indigenous peoples and local communities chose their own representatives for the REDD+ Working Group in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP, article 33):  “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine the structures and to select the membership of their institutions in accordance with their own procedures.”  The same standard was applied to NGOs focused on women and gender issues; they selected their own representatives for the Working Group.   As a result of this democratic process, there are 10 representatives of local communities/indigenous peoples and NGOs in the Working Group.

Q:  What does the Working Group do?
A:  With the support of the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia, the Working Group is implementing activities in accordance with its mandate and is providing recommendations to the Government of Central Sulawesi on issues related to the four Sub-Working Groups’ respective tasks:

• Policy development for REDD+ implementation.
• Trialling REDD+ related methodology including MRV, REL/RL and options for the distribution of benefits.
• Development of criteria and indicators to select pilot districts.
• Taking actions needed to implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and stakeholders’ capacity building in REDD+ related skills.

Q:  What challenges does the Working Group face in Central Sulawesi?
A:  Several factors were initially challenging for the Working Group in undertaking its tasks:

• REDD+ is a new concept and most Indonesians are still learning about it.
• The REDD+ Working Group itself is a pilot institution.
• The Working Group consists of diverse elements of society, and practice is necessary to achieve good coordination among such diverse stakeholders.

With time, frequent meetings, and the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s support in building the capacity of its members, the Working Group has now picked up the pace by drafting some recommendations for:

• The development of a provincial strategy for REDD+ implementation.
• The development of criteria and indicators to select pilot districts.
• The development of a framework for implementing FPIC.

Q:  What is the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s role in the area of land and forest rights in Central Sulawesi?
A:  The emphasis of the UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s mandate is to support the development of a fair, equitable, and transparent REDD+ architecture by capacity building and facilitation.  To ensure that the structure respects the rights of all stakeholders including rights to land and forests, UN-REDD Programme Indonesia is facilitating the development of a REDD+ Provincial Strategy with a special focus on the management of issues related to land and forest rights.  TheUN-REDD Programme Indonesia and Central Sulawesi REDD+ Working Group are also communicating with other REDD+ related institutions to make sure this issue is addressed in the Strategy.

Q: How can we be certain that the Central Sulawesi’s REDD+ Working Group is working effectively?
A: The UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s Programme Management Unit (PMU) is involved during the whole process of planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities originated by the Working Group.  This is to make sure that the proposed activity fits UN-REDD Programme Indonesia’s mandate and the Working Group’s responsibilities, as well as to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the Working Group.

To improve coordination, the Working Group has just developed a communication mechanism to report on the progress of the four Sub Working Groups and to monitor the quality of their representatives’ performance.  The activities and results are shared within the Working Group to make sure all of the four Sub-Working Groups are informed of each other’s progress. Both the Head of the Working Group and the PMU receive the same information, so that the level of understanding related to the development of each component of REDD+ readiness should be consistent across all four Sub-Working Groups and the PMU.