English - REDD - VietNam

Minutes of: REDD Working Group Meeting
Date & time: May 10, 2011
13:30 – 17:30
Venue:
Chair by:
Dai Viet Function room
Flower Garden, 46 Nguyen Truong To, Ha Noi
Madame Pham Minh Thoa, Director, Department of
Science, Technology and International Cooperation,
Viet Nam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST).
Agenda items:
1. Reports on activities of each sub-tech working groups (MRV, LI & BDS) and action plan
until the end of the year
2. Discuss agenda for National REDD Network, content, participants, and timing
3. Discuss development of National REDD
1. Reports on activities and action plan of:
• MRV Sub-technical working group – Akiko Inoguchi, FAO
• Local Implementation STWG – Adrian Enright, SNV
• Benefit Distribution System on REDD+ – Vu Thi Hien, CERDA
• Challenges on development of MRV – Pham Manh Cuong, VNFOREST
Discussion:
1.1. MRV
- Work plan of MRV through 2011: Development of a framework document including
the following (not limited to MRV, but also covering other areas for montiroing,
including Safeguards and Policies and Measures: PaMs);
• Key components of Safeguards information, PaMs monitoring and MRV
• What are the institutional arrangements?
• What are the existing capacities?
• What are the capacity building needs?
- 1 st draft of this framework document will be shared very soon (shared on 17 May).
A STWG-MRV meeting is planned after the document is shared to get
comments/feedbacks.
- There are many cross-cutting issues which will require the different STWGs to look
at respectively, but not to be regarded as overlaps. MRV STWG may look at for
example BDS but from a different angle than that of the STWG-LI, or BDS.
National REDD Office 10 Nguyen Cong Hoan Str., Hanoi, Viet Nam
www.vietnam-redd.org
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- Currently the STWG-MRV is operating on a non-cost basis, but will require some
funds when discussions require participants beyond Ha Noi. The STWG needs to
think about size of the group, size of the component participants at the local,
grassroots level. If expantion comes it will require some logistic support. Under the
FAO agreement, UN-REDD Viet Nam could support this STWG.
1.2. Local Implementation
- For the moment, DoSTIC will work with LI STWG. But in the future the co-chair
will be rotated. The final decision will be announced through the REDD Network.
- STWG is a service provider of information and ideas to feed up to the national level
and national REDD programme. There is a need to focus efforts on discussing key
outputs that can produce advice to help the government in designing the REDD
process.
- Collection and dissemination of lessons learned:
o Very important
o How much funding needed? UN-REDD Viet Nam Programme can fund this
activity with funding from UNEP under the communications and information
sharing compartment.
o document all the success lessons learned in paralle with the process of
document lessons learned from REDD programs, projects of international &
national NGOs.
o Contact LEAF about funding for Viet Nam to document lessons learned.
o Technical working group should think about specific activities, propose TOR
for this activity: the consruction of lessons learned, successful lessons of
implementation of REDD in Viet Nam and in the region if we have enough
information.
- How to send recommendation of STWG to GoV?
o Technical working group as a channel for communication could bring
discussion/recommendation from STWG to the GoV.
o Decisions from the STWG subsequently brought to the WG for further
discussion and decision-making is not compatible to the way decisions are
made at other levels. Keep the STWGs what they are, very fruitful technical
discussion on specific issues but the formalization of any decisions that are
made at the STWG are maintained at the STWG and the National REDD
network.
o Technical WG based on specific requirements to create STWGs to have more
in depth discussion to make general recommendations to the Techical WG
National REDD Network GoV to make decisions relating to REDD
initiatives in Viet Nam.
National REDD Office 10 Nguyen Cong Hoan Str., Hanoi, Viet Nam
www.vietnam-redd.org
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o Chairman of National REDD Network is a senior official of MARD so our
recommendations will be able to reach the GoV.
- What is the mechanism to send the discussions/recommendations of the STWGs to
the GoV.?
o It has to be a written report not minutes. The report must be practical, concise
and give necessary recommendation to the GoV on the development of
National REDD+ Strategy, as well as in the process of negotiating REDD,
bringing the voice of Viet Nam to the international community to ensure that
the idea conveyed here is not only for Viet Nam but it will be shared at the
international level.
o Each STWGs must bring their written report to Technical WG meeting.
o Mr. Cuong will develop the format for the report and circulate to network
members by May 20th.
o Written reports will be send to H.E. Hua Duc Nhi. All reports will be
uploaded on REDD Viet Nam website.
- Discussion through email or forum vs regular meeting:
o There is google group for network members to share information.
o Extranet – looking into this option for the REDD network members but need
to discuss this further to see if we really need it or not.
o what language will be used in the extranet? You might create a tool that may
exclude some people from joining the group.
o bulletin email from each STWG with key points in both languages and easy
to distribute.
1.3. BDS
UN-REDD Viet Nam did a study on BDS. The report outlined a number of principles
realted to the design of BDS for Viet Nam but some core issues still need to be added to
the list. Fund management? Direct or indirect payment? Currently, Viet Nam is proposing
pay as remunerate. Community cannot wait 5 or 10 years to get pay for their results. To
strengthen capacity in this interim period, we need to pay to encourage community to
continue to participate in forests protection. We called it participant payment, and try to
have the pay rate the same as the pay rate of the 5 Million Hectares program, about 15-20
USD/year. This could be understood as a advance payment for the final result payment
later.
2. Governance STWG
- This STWG closely realted to FLEG-T and LACEY Act. EC encourages FLEG-T, &
REDD work more closey together.
- REDD & FLEG-T have a comment goal: use legal timber. Need to protect forest
sustainably to have legal timber. VIFORES (Vietnam Forest Products Association)is
an NGO and a network of enterprises that import and processing timber. Vifores
National REDD Office 10 Nguyen Cong Hoan Str., Hanoi, Viet Nam
www.vietnam-redd.org
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closely relates to the forest and especial production forest. Enterprises in Vietnam
imports 4 – 5 million cubic meters of timber/year.
- This STWG will discuss issues those have not discussed by the other STWGs. To
date, FLEG-T & REDD iniatives in Vietnam are parellel but not connected. Viet
Nam is participating in the process of negotitaions on FLEG-T VPA.
- Under the FLEG-T VPA negotiation, three researchs have been conducting
o Timber flows Timber legality definition: issues covered include existing legal
framework related to land use community’s rights, import and export.
o Stakeholder analysis
VIFORES and Forest Trends have been conducting the research on stakeholder
analysis.
- Viet Nam may sign a voluntary partnership agreement with EC in late 2012 or early
2013. Signing VPA and implementing it will greatly affect forest governance in Viet
Nam.
- Some common issues both REDD and FLEG-T are addressing:
o Stakeholder groups. FLEG-T is doing research on stakeholder groups: GoV.,
private enterprises, and civil society.
o What is the motivation of the parties involved in the process of FLEG-T? Of
REDD? Are there any contradictions?
o Implementation process and outputs
o MRV (REDD) and TLAS, Timber legality assurance system, (FLEG-T) have
several elements in commonLeakage
- If Viet Nam signed the VPA, a join implementation committee has to be set up with
the participation of EC, Viet Nam, and the national and international civil society.
- Existing legal framework in Vietnam does not require environmental and social
assessement if the harvesting area is less than 1,000 ha.
- A specific date for the kick off meeting of this STWG needs to be set up. Vifores and
Forest Trends will chair this STWG. There’s no need a STWG onREDD & FLEG-T
linkage as this linkage could be a part of the STWG on Governance.
- In term of state management: how can we make sure people working on FLEG-T
will participate in this STWG? Because the discussion here is in the context of
REDD not FLEG-T? VNFOREST will send out invitation to people working on
FLEG-T to invite them to participate in the meeting.
- Develop communication plan or strategy to identify key actives in Vietnam to
strategize how to get information flow to decision makers to help the STWG.
National REDD Office 10 Nguyen Cong Hoan Str., Hanoi, Viet Nam
www.vietnam-redd.org
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3. National REDD Network Meeting
- Date: June 21, 2011
- Place: Ha Noi
- Agenda:
o Updated on the negotiation process of REDD+
o Discuss about network’s presntation in Oslo
o Report from Technical WG (include STWGS): meeting reuslts, plan activities
o Recommendations for Network to send to MARD
o Action plan of Technical WG and STWGs to the end of 2011
o Discuss about linkage and coordination among Ministries
o Commetns/ suggestion for the Viet Nam REDD+ Strategy document
o Plan for next meeting: location, time and agenda
4. Work that needs to be done after this meeting:
- Mr. Cuong
o
will make a report template for Technical WG & STWGs to use after each
meeting. Requirements: simple, easy to use, concise, the necessary
recommendations to be sent to Technical WG and network, results of the meeting
and plan activities for next meeting.
o Deadline: 1st draft May 20 send to network members for commets
May 31st: officially circulate the report template to use
- Ms. Phuong: gather all information on REDD and send to VIFORES
- Draft of Viet Nam REDD+ Strategy will be sent to Network member through email.
Comments to be submitted through the STWGs on their focus area (need to work out
this among the STWGs) REDD office report at the National Network meeting.
- STWGs send comments on the draft of Viet Nam REDD+ Strategy to REDD
Network secretary COB 13.6.2011
National REDD Office 10 Nguyen Cong Hoan Str., Hanoi, Viet Nam
www.vietnam-redd.org
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