Guyana closer to developing Grievance and Redress Mechanism for FCPF Project

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DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Guyana is advancing its readiness under the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Project to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). This is being made possible through the development of a Grievance and Redress Mechanism (GRM) for REDD+ implementation.

A round of consultations was held on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, at Cara Lodge Hotel where stakeholders, coming under the umbrella of natural resources and other relevant agencies learnt what an effective and efficient GRM would mean for the FCPF project.

The consultation was hosted by The Consultancy Group (TCG), who was awarded a six-month contract in 2017 by the Ministry of Natural Resources, to consult and develop the GRM for REDD+ implementation.

Peace and Governance consultant of the TCG, Lawrence Lachmansingh said the overall intention of these stakeholder consultations is to plan collectively towards the GRM, having all relevant stakeholders on board.

“This is not the consultants coming in and telling people well we’re the experts, here is what you have to do. We want to do this thing consensually and jointly so we will really look forward to your thoughts as to what do we do over this stock-taking that has been done, what actions do we need to agree on.”

Phase one, of the technical approach contract headed by the TCG, seeks to ensure that stakeholders understand and identify opportunities around grievances and grievance mechanisms. Phase two moves into the development and testing of ideas and options for the implementation of an effective GRM, while Phase Three will refine, validate, and disseminate information on proposed GRM.

The GRM allows government agencies to address issues of concern which impact their policies, programmes, and operations on external stakeholders. Drawing from consultations of this nature, the GRM will form a structured procedure to receive, process and investigates complaints and to also engage and promote dialogue and mediation with affected parties or communities.

Coordinator of the FCPF, Ministry of Natural Resources, Clayton Hall said that this is a major step for the FCPF Project. “When we say REDD+ what is REDD, it is the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It also addresses issues of the enhancement of carbon stock, the sustainable management of forestry resources, the pollution of our rivers, regarding eco-systems, services and management of those eco-systems, watershed protection and a variety of issues that would impact our existence.”

Reflecting on the conception of the project, Hall explained that, “our previous government did not sign the project document until the 7^th February 2014, unfortunately, it was never implemented and then our present government came to office in 2015 and realised this important project was in the pipeline for execution … and therefore efforts were made to renegotiate the project in a sense to get it reimplemented.”

The development of the GRM comes under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the governments of Guyana and Norway, to create a REDD+ model that would demonstrate how REDD+ can align the development objectives of forest countries with the world’s need to combat climate change.

US$3.8 million has been set aside to support technical cooperation through this agreement to execute FCPF project in Guyana in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

FCPF, a global REDD+ alliance, aligns Guyana to be recommended for benefits from the US$650 million World Bank Carbon Fund and similar funding mechanisms. Guyana first approached FCPF in 2008 with a Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-Pin). The World Bank’s Technical Advisory Panel subsequently received and approved the Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP) in June 2009.

 

By: Delicia Haynes