SESSION 1: A concerted international approach for transparent and accurate MRV
Channel: CD REDD
Date: 2014-02-13

Presentation: Keynote, presentation by Kevin Conrad (Executive Director, CfRN)
Presentation: How the International Climate Change Initiative supports strategic investments
Presentation: FAO's work on capacity development for MRV and NFMS as part of overall support to countries on climate change

All presentations available at http://cdredd.org/content/reporting-conference

Kevin Conrad opened the conference by pointing out that in the next 5 to 10 years countries need to scale up ambition to reduce emissions to comply with agreed targets. Many reductions can be done by developing countries, but these countries need support in developing appropriate reduction mechanisms. Forest, Agriculture and Other Land Use (AFOLU) are challenging sectors for the next years. Kevin ended by stressing the need to scale up of the work of CD-REDD.  Many countries are not yet involved in the GHG technical work under the programme of CD-REDD and are in need of support to meet their reporting requirements under international assignments.

Daniela Göhler opened the conference by situating the CD-REDD project as a part of Germany's strategy in its International Climate Initiative. Germany has a long history in funding for REDD+, mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity within this initiative. However, the challenge remains to negotiate and justify investments in climate change. Presence in developing countries is for Germany the most effective way to achieve the common targets. Germany recently started with the REDD Early Movers Programme. In Daniela's understanding early mover describes also the role of CD-REDD in terms of conceptual thinking: At the start of the negotiations only basic rules for REDD+ were clear. Decisions were made in Bali, Doha, and finally in Warsaw where 7 decisions were reached on REDD+.  Meanwhile CD-REDD progressed and kept consistent with what Warsaw defined as the way forward. There is the need for more similar foresight and strategic projects. The project also had a strong peer learning effect because many people were involved and may have learned from each other at various events and stages of the project. Generally more time will be needed to strengthen capacities in this field and other donors should get involved and continue.

The conference was also opened by Yao Xiangjun, Director Climate, Energy and Tenure Division FAO. She reflected on how MRV is rather new but has an exponential growing importance at FAO. UN-REDD and MICCA are two ongoing projects. The UN-REDD has been working for 5 years on National Forest Monitoring Systems and MRV and the project has grown from 9 countries to 42 countries. There is a clear interest from countries. A recent development by FAO was the inclusion of GHG emission data from Agriculture into the FAOSTAT database as part of the MICCA project. Several principles for effectiveness are very important for FAO and should continually be considered. One of them is the national ownership and respect for institutional knowledge, because respecting these issues is the only way to national capacity building. South-South cooperation is important; through knowledge sharing successful stories can be transferred. Finally, FAO's role is to support countries if needed. FAO together with international organizations tries to coordinate the work inside UN-REDD and other programmes.