UN-REDD readiness support (NP) was completed in 2018. The country has virtually achieved the four Warsaw Framework pillars for REDD+ (see here). This includes the Government’s adoption of the National REDD+ Strategy (SNREDD+), which contains a framework of actions that will enable the country to safeguard its current forests and to restore 20 per cent of its forest cover by 2030. The other achievements during this preparatory phase, which were notably advanced during 2018, were the submission of the FREL to UNFCCC, the implementation of a functional National Forest Monitoring System (SNSF), the design of the SIS and the drafting of the first national SOI on safeguards, which is under validation by the National REDD+ Committee.

REDD+ IMPLEMENTATION

With the technical support of UNREDD, Côte d’Ivoire is making progress on the institutional framework for REDD+ implementation. In 2018, UNREDD advised on the design of a national fund for REDD+ finance, the drafting of the national investment plan and a pilot payment-for-ecosystem-services (PES) mechanism. A first investment portfolio for REDD+ was also designed, including a partnership with the private sector for US$ 70 million, a GCF programme that is about to be submitted and a solid engagement on zero-deforestation commodities through the Cocoa & Forests Initiative.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

The major challenge is to operationalize the National REDD+ Strategy and the monitoring tools (NFMS and SIS), as they entail a wide range of measures, some requiring important policy reforms, a high level of financing commitments from international partners, both public and private, and significant time to mature. The UN-REDD technical assistance under way is supporting the institutional measures (e.g. national fund), the financing avenues (e.g. PES strategy, GCF programme) and the partnerships (e.g. private-sector co-financing for REDD+, the engagement with the Cocoa & Forests Initiative).

GENDER AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

The gender approach was incorporated into the national REDD+ readiness process and its outcomes. Specific women-led consultations took place, while the National REDD+ Unit conducted monitoring on the degree of female participation in the policy and technical consultations. The specific measures that will address the resource issues and livelihood needs of rural women, which appear in the National REDD+ Strategy, informed the investment and partnership efforts.

The REDD+ process in the country has been participatory and inclusive. Most of the policies, measures and investments entail supporting and financing small-scale, rural producers at the grass roots. In this sense, the investment plan, the pilot PES incentive scheme and other actions are directly engaging and supporting communities that wish to preserve or restore their forests while enhancing their agricultural livelihoods. During the official debriefing on NP completion to the UN-REDD Executive Board (October 2018), the civil society representative stated as follows: “The UN-REDD Programme contributed to a better structuring of the civil society, which resulted in the establishment of a platform called OI-REN, [which is] recognized by the Forest Administration as a key interlocutor (Forest Policy, Forest Code).”

PARTNERSHIPS

From the outset of REDD+, UN-REDD has served as the platform to attract, convene and coordinate a wide range of national and international partners for REDD+ actions and investments. This institutional fabric remains dynamic and is expanding. UN-REDD collaborates closely and shares work streams with various partners, notably the FCPF and the EU REDD Facility. It is also fostering public-private partnerships, such as the country’s engagement in the Cocoa & Forests Initiative, as well as South-South cooperation with Ghana.

LINKAGES TO SDGS

The National REDD+ Strategy has been one of the major forces in defining the national development plans and policies that underpin the Sustainable Development Agenda in the country. A national policy for zero-deforestation agriculture is now central to Côte d’Ivoire’s development framework, directly influencing SDG 12 (sustainable farming), SDG 13 (climate mitigation), SDG 15 (safeguarding and restoring forests) and SDG 17 (partnerships – see above).

(Update Annual Report 2018)