The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations Collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries.
The Programme was launched in September 2008 to assist developing countries prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies, and builds on the convening power and expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The Programme currently has 29 partner countries spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, of which 12 are receiving support to National Programme activities. These 12 countries are: Bolivia, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Indonesia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia. To-date, the UN-REDD Programme’s Policy Board has approved a total of US$51.4 million for its nine initial pilot countries and three new countries (Cambodia, the Philippines and Solomon Islands). These funds help to support the development and implementation of national REDD+ strategies. National Programmes in seven UN-REDD Programme countries are now in their implementation phase (Bolivia, DRC, Indonesia, Panama, Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia).
UN-REDD Programme countries not receiving direct support to national programmes engage with the Programme in a number of ways, including as observers to the Programme's Policy Board, and through participation in regional workshops and knowledge sharing, facilitated by the Programme’s interactive online workspace. These countries are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka and Sudan.
The UN-REDD Programme brings together technical teams from around the world to help develop analyses and guidelines on issues such as measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon emissions and flows, ensuring that forests continue to provide multiple benefits for livelihoods and the environment, and supporting the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and Civil Society at all stages of the design and implementation of REDD+ strategies. The UN-REDD Programme also seeks to build consensus and knowledge about REDD+, to ensure a REDD+ mechanism is included in a post-2012 climate change agreement.
Norway continues to be the UN-REDD Programme’s first and largest donor. Since the Programme was launched in September 2008, Norway has committed US$52.2 million for 2008-2009, and another US$31 million for 2010. Denmark became the second donor country to join the UN-REDD Programme, committing US$2 million in June 2009 and another US$6 million in November 2010. At the end of 2009, Spain announced its pledge of US$20.2 million to the UN-REDD Programme over a period of three years, and confirmed US$1.4 million for 2010 in November 2010. The Programme UN-REDD is now actively looking for more donors, to meet the increasing demand from countries seeking support from the Programme.
