Forum on Readiness for REDD

The Forum on Readiness for REDD is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on practical and inclusive approaches for advancing REDD+ implementation through capacity building, cross-stakeholder dialogue, South-South collaboration, and linking expertise and resources with regional and national actors. The Brazilian-based Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) serves as the Forum Secretariat, supporting a network of developing country governments, NGOs, civil society representatives, and indigenous groups in increasing understanding and capacity for low-carbon land use policies in tropical countries.

The Forum has been a key force in REDD+ capacity building since 2008, and a convener of workshops, trainings, and stakeholder dialogues in the tropical regions of Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. The Secretariat works with a wide range of international partners to address the needs of developing country governments and civil society stakeholders.  The Forum’s efforts support these stakeholders in designing, assessing and implementing policy options and development strategies that achieve a reduction in emissions from tropical deforestation. Ongoing programs include outreach on climate change and REDD+ for indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin, a negotiator dialogue series on the UNFCCC and REDD+ for developing country governments, South-South network exchange programs, and information outreach to REDD+ stakeholders through educational products and resources.

The Forum relies on leadership from an Advisory Committee composed of representatives of a range of countries and stakeholder groups engaged in REDD+, including governments, multilateral institutions, civil society, indigenous groups, international NGOs, and the private sector. The Advisory Committee oversees the Forum’s strategy, direction, partnerships, and activities in assessing gaps for REDD+ implementation at a global scale.

In 2010 the Secretariat transitioned from the Woods Hole Research Center to its current home at IPAM. Funding for the Forum Secretariat has been provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Climate and Land-Use Alliance (CLUA).