Pacific Island ministers endorse regional REDD+ policy framework

On 28 September 2012, the 3rd Regional Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry endorsed the Pacific Islands Regional Policy Framework for REDD+. An ICI project supported the previous consultation process.

The 3rd Regional Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry on 28 September 2012 in Nadi, Fiji, endorsed the Pacific Islands Regional Policy Framework for REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). The event was convened by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

The policy framework was drafted following a national and regional multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder consultation process, including policy dialogue, workshops and submissions to the draft. This process was supported through a project funded by International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Environment Ministry and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with SPC.

This Pacific Islands Regional Policy Framework for REDD+ is designed to provide options to guide national REDD+ programme development in the four larger Melanesian countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu), which are preparing themselves to receive performance-based payments from national-scale accounted emission reductions. The policy framework establishes a basis to achieve this.

The proposed regional cooperation and support structures for the advancement of the forestry sector will also benefit all countries in the Pacific Island region.