UN-REDD and Japan partner to support REDD+ in Asia-Pacific

The Japan-UNDP Partnership Fund just approved a project applied by UNDP’s UN-REDD Programme Asia-Pacific team, titled “Promoting Regional REDD+ Approach and REDD+ Readiness in Under-Supported Regions of Asia/Pacific”.

This project is recognized as the first ‘Tier 2’ project of the UN-REDD Programme, which is a new financial modality recently created under the Programme. Tier 2 activities are funded through sources other than the UN-REDD Multi-Donor Trust Fund and undertaken jointly or individually by agencies but clearly contribute to the overall UN-REDD Programme as defined in the Programme Strategy, and are approved by the UN-REDD Programme Coordination Group.

The project aims to address the unbalanced REDD+ readiness support in the region by providing harmonized assistance to countries across Asia-Pacific in order to help realize regional-scale REDD+ readiness in a strategic and cost-effective way. The project will take a two-pronged approach to pursue this objective. At the regional scale, it will aim to ensure harmonization of REDD+ readiness efforts across the region by establishing a regional platform to promote coordination and collaboration among development partners in providing REDD+ related assistance and south-south cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region. Such an approach may subsequently be expanded and replicated in other regions. At the national level, the project will provide special assistance to those under-supported countries facing significant capacity and resource constraints in reaching REDD+ readiness, namely Mongolia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

The project duration is 17 months, starting in November 2010. The total allocated resources are $353,000 from the Japanese government plus an in-kind contribution of $335,000 from the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Center.

For further information, please contact:

Timothy Boyle
UN-REDD Regional Coordinator
UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, Bangkok
Email: timothy.boyle@undp.org
Tel: +66-2-288-2728

Akihito Kono
Technical Specialist, Ecosystems and Natural Resources
UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, Bangkok
Email: akihito.kono@undp.org
Tel.: +66 (2) 288 2765