Please download the final communiqué below:  La première édition de l’Université de la REDD+ au Bandundu – République Démocratique du Congo

From 28 April to 2 May 2014, the town of BANDUNDU in the Democratic Republic of Congo provided the venue for the first edition of the REDD+ University organized by the National REDD Coordinating Office of the Democratic Republic of Congo in collaboration with the European Forest Institute (EFI).

The high-stakes event, placed under the distinguished patronage of the Provincial Minister of Environment, gathered close to a hundred participants from the provincial administration, CN-REDD/FIP, CN-REDD/Republic of Congo, the FLEGT technical commission, pilot projects, industrial and artisanal operators, the conseil consultatif des forêts, international, national and provincial civil society, the private sector, rural agricultural management councils, local communities and indigenous peoples.

The mood was set by the opening ceremony which enlightened participants on the principal reasons behind the organization of this installment of the REDD+ University, as well as its assigned objectives.  The first part of the meeting was marked by a string of presentations conducted in 7 sessions. The presentations covered the following themes : Climate change and REDD+, the REDD+ process in the DRC and the implementation framework, REDD + projects in Bandundu, the stakes of sustainable forest management in Bandundu, communication on REDD+, the jurisdictional approach to REDD+ in Bandundu and the ER-PIN in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

After each presentation, participants were allowed to ask questions for further clarification of themes discussed. The second major development of the meeting was the break-out groups during which participants reflected on the following themes : artisanal logging policy at provincial level, the stakes of forest zoning, the provincial fiscal policy, participation of provinces in the VPA-FLEGT process, Independent Observation of REDD+, institutional arrangements, representation of communities and indigenous peoples, communication around REDD+.

 Group work was followed by a feedback session during which participants shared their views and put recommendations to various REDD+ players in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including : REDD+ stakeholders as a whole, the national and provincial administration, national and provincial civil society, REDD+ flagship projects.

With the recommendations which were highly appreciated by the provincial administration, the curtain fell on the maiden edition of the REDD+ University, to the satisfaction of the organizers and participants for whom the event portends opportunities to implement REDD+ at provincial level.

 For further information on the event, please consult the final communiqué below:La première édition de l’Université de la REDD+ au Bandundu – République Démocratique du Congo