International Seminar"REDD+ Implementation and Sustainable Forest Management"
atU Thant International Conference Hall, United Nations University, Tokyoin February 6, 2014
Organized byForestry and Forestry Products Research Institute (FFPRI) andFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Co-organized by
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), International Tropical Timber
Organization (ITTO), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), andUnited Nations University (UNU)
Supported byForestry Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry, Ministry of Environment＜Draft Conclusion＞
Objectives of The International Seminar The main objective of the international seminar is to review and discuss thelatest SFM approaches and activities at all scales and forest types, exploring thelinkages and synergies with REDD+, with the aim of turning SFM into a mean
and an opportunity for REDD+, specifically through: Facilitating the exchange of experiences, tools, and inspiring cases of SFM
implementation that can contribute to five REDD+ activities: reducing
deforestation, reducing forest degradation, sustainable management of forests,
conservation, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
 Discussing about challenges for addressing different scales of implementation,and explore challenges caused by scaling-up from projects/demonstration
activities to national scales.
 Facilitating reflections about the role of SFM in the context of REDD+
demonstration projects and full implementation.
Key messages
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) does not have a single definition, but it
is a well-established concept in the forestry sector. SFM was described at theEarth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 as “a dynamic and evolving
concept that aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social andenvironmental value of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and



future generations.”
REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation,sustainable management of forest, conservation and enhancement of carbonstocks) has a shorter history and is being negotiated by the Conference of theParties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC). REDD+ is considered promising as a climate change
mitigation instrument that could provide a wide range of co-benefits.
Strong synergies exist between SFM and REDD+. Practices and experiencesfrom SFM can contribute to the design of effective REDD+ strategies, while
REDD+ architecture, actions and lessons can contribute to the objectives ofSFM. SFM and REDD+ objectives and be achieved more effectively andefficiently by fully exploiting these synergies.
Science has an important role to play in both SFM and REDD+, particularly in
improving understanding of ecosystems and the environment. Both SFM andREDD+ require better knowledge of how forests can be managed in ways thatmaintain ecosystem functions and avoid ecological tipping points.
REDD+ strategies will only be successful when they are built on a soundunderstanding of local realities, especially of how local communities view theworld, their livelihoods and their aspirations. Analysis of local societies andlivelihoods, common pool resources and participatory forest management
provide knowledge on how REDD+ activities can be designed andimplemented at local levels. Local people should be viewed as main partners for
SFM and REDD+, not as the culprits responsible for deforestation. How
REDD+ can be decentralised and how roles, responsibilities and rewards canbe assigned to local levels needs to be considered in each country.
International financial and technical support for REDD+ must be tailored toassist governments in achieving their broader SFM goals and to reflect nationaland local realities. For example, investments in national forest monitoring
systems should not just build the capacity of countries to count their carbon
stocks and monitor safeguards, they should contribute to monitoring otherforest values that countries have deemed important in their national forest plans,e.g. timber stocks, biodiversity, etc. The data/information needs andrequirements, including the required level of accuracy, will vary by purposes andusers.
A phased approach to developing national forest information/monitoring
systems, beginning with the minimum requirements for REDD+, isrecommended to allow countries to gain early experience with REDD+.
Participatory forest monitoring is an important and promising approach when it
is cost-effective and the roles of communities are well-defined.
National REDD+ readiness processes cannot be rushed and must progress at

speeds appropriate to each country. SFM and REDD+ require majortransformations in the forestry sector to enable engagement of all levels andstakeholders, from governments to communities. Governments are key tocreating enabling environments for REDD+ (policies, regulations and theirenforcement), while other stakeholders are essential for materialising actions.
REDD+ projects are moving quickly and are providing valuable lessons on
strategies, methodologies and benefit distribution, as well as providing revenues
in the mid-term. It is important that REDD+ projects are guided bygovernments to maximise their potential for capacity building and as
demonstrations of how REDD+ can be implemented.
SFM and REDD+ cannot be realised through actions in the forestry sector
alone, as many of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation lie outside
this sector, e.g. in agriculture and mining. Governance and land use planning arekeys to landscape approaches that provide us with a broader framework foranalysis and planning to tackle these drivers.