Konference: Man kan ikke se skoven og befolkningen for bare CO2

TIME: Thursday, 8 November, 10.00 – 15.20

VENUE: Borups Højskole, Frederiksholms Kanal 24, 1220 Copenhagen K

REGISTRATION: The conference is free of charge, but requires registration. To register, please send an e-mail to Maja Grønkjær: [email protected] no later than Thursday 1 November.

TIME: Thursday, 8 November, 10.00 – 15.20

VENUE: Borups Højskole, Frederiksholms Kanal 24, 1220 Copenhagen K

REGISTRATION: The conference is free of charge, but requires registration. To register, please send an e-mail to Maja Grønkjær: [email protected] no later than Thursday 1 November.

Forest protection always tends to have a positive ring to it. But the voices of the people who actually live in these forests are often overheard. No initiative to reduce deforestation can work without the trust and participation of local groups. How do we make sure that the perspectives of indigenous people and other forest dependent communities are included into forest conservation programs?

The so-called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) programs, such as UN-REDD and FCPF, are attempts to curb deforestation through payments to preserve forests.

From the outset these programs have focused much more on the carbon storing function of forests than on protecting the rights of forest-based people. At COP16 in Cancun a number of safeguards were agreed upon which may help protect these rights. However, the formulation of these safeguards is weak and the question is how much effect they will have?

The conference will contribute to the on-going discussions about safeguards and their implementation as well as the importance of a broad approach to forest conservation that focuses on more than just carbon.

These issues are feeding directly into the UNFCCC negotiations taking place in Doha in the end of November this year.

The conference will bring together representatives from government, non-governmental organisations, indigenous peoples’ organisations as well as academia to discuss these issues. The conference will provide an opportunity for a dialogue on the lessons learnt so far and how to fully integrate non-carbon values into the equation.

The conference will be held in English.

PROGRAMME:

09:30 Registration and coffee

10:00 Welcome by the organizers of the conference

10:10 The REDD+ discussions in a broader rights context

– Presentation by Birgitte Feiring (independent consultant on indigenous peoples’ rights).

10:40 Setting the scene: what is the current state of the international negotiations on REDD+

– Presentation by Peter Iversen (the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building)
– Presentation by Kate Dooley (FERN)

11:25 Safeguards in practice: indigenous peoples and other forest dependant communities as actors in the formulation and implementation of safeguards

– Panel debate followed by open discussion with participation from: Siri Damman (Rainforest Foundation Norway) (tbc), Kennan W. Rapp (Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, the World Bank)
– Presentation by Diego Escobar, (La Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca
Amazónica (COICA)), Jesper Tranberg (Danish Nature Agency)
– Representative from indigenous peoples’ organisation: Rhoda Dalang (tbc)

Moderated by: Vagn Berthelsen (Secretary General, IBIS)

12:40 Lunch

13:25 REDD+: how to ensure that REDD+ delivers the full range of social and environmental co-
benefits

– Presentation by Ivar Jørgensen (Norad)
– Presentation by Ida Theilade (Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, University of Copenhagen)
– Presentation by Morten Fauerby Thomsen (CARE Denmark on behalf of FECOFUN (Federation of Community Forest Users of Nepal))
– Presentation by Jennifer Rubis (Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (JOAS)

Moderated by: Birgitte Feiring (independent consultant on indigenous peoples’ rights)

14:55 Conclusion and perspectives

15:20 End of the conference