The COP-14 UNFCCC climate change negotiations beginning next week in Poznan Poland (Dec. 1-12) will bring the world closer to a global forest-climate agreement. Yet such forest-based mitigation and adaptation strategies will only be effective if they promote the social and economic development of forest communities” while also securing and protecting communities' human and tenure rights.

On the eve of these negotiations” Rights and Resources Initiative and Rainforest Foundation Norway are joining the dialogue with a policy brief intended for negotiators and their governments: 

Foundations for Effectiveness: A framework for ensuring effective climate change mitigation and adaptation in forest areas while ensuring human rights and development.

This brief aims to provide negotiators” their governments and inter-governmental organizations a clear framework for action to ensure that responses to climate change are effective and do not undermine recent progress on rights and development. The analysis is based on the conclusions of the conference on Rights” Forests and Climate Change” organized by Rights and Resources Initiative and Rainforest Foundation Norway and held in Oslo” 15-17 October 2008. (Read more from the conference here and at www.rightsandclimate.org).

RRI Partners will be presenting their work at two sessions during Forest Day 2″ a UNFCCC COP 14 Parallel Event organized by RRI Partner” Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Forest Day will be held December 6″ 2008 at the University of Adam Mickiewicz (Address: H. Wieniawskiego 1″ 61-712″ Poznań” click here for map.)

Session 1

REDD for Rural Development: Presenters include RRI Partner” the Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC). At the University Hall (Aula)” 1st Floor” Collegium Minus.

Indigenous and local community perspectives on forests and climate change – What is needed for an effective strategy to avoid deforestation and forest degradation?: Organized by RRI Collaborators Rainforest Foundation Norway and the Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement (CED) of Cameroon. At the Siedemnastka room” 1st Floor” Collegium Minus.

Session 2 (Room: Siedemnastka)

Assuring Social Justice in REDD: Presenters include RRI Senior Researcher William Sunderlin. At the Siedemnastka room” 1st Floor” Collegium Minus.

Other RRI Partners and collaborators” including Forest Trends and CIFOR will also hosting side-events. Check the schedule here.

For more information on RRI engagement in the UNFCCC events in Poznan” write to Jeffrey Hatcher – jhatcher (at) rightsandresources (dot) org.