The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Phase II (2018-2020) conducted its first Project Executive Board (PEB) meeting today, 19 March, 2018, in Phnom Penh. FCPF II aims to build upon the earlier REDD+ readiness efforts and prepare Cambodia for the implementation of REDD+ under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The PEB meeting is co-chaired by the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and is composed of key members from General Department of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection (GDANCP), Forestry Administration, Fishery Administration, Civil Society and Indigenous Group. Development Partners and members of the REDD+ Gender Group participate as observers.
FCPF is a World Bank programme created to assist developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, enhance and conserve forest carbon stocks, and sustainably manage forests (REDD+). Both Phase I and Phase II of FCPF’s assistance to Cambodia focus on readiness efforts, building capacity to implement actions that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
With the support of FCPF Phase I, Cambodia has made significant progress in developing REDD+ elements following the decisions of the UNFCCC. Cambodia has established an institutional framework for the implementation of REDD+, finalized and approved its National REDD+ Strategy, submitted a Forest Reference Level to the UNFCCC, and launched a National Forestry Monitoring System. In addition, FCPF Phase I provided support to relevant forest institutions to develop sectoral strategic management and action plans, tested policies and measures to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in five demonstration sites (Siem Reap, Pursat, Kampong Chhnang, Koh Kong, and Preah Sihanouk Ville), and has actively engaged key stakeholders in REDD+ activities.
‘As a Party of UNFCCC implementing REDD+, Cambodia has significantly advanced in the readiness phase. Now further efforts are needed to reach the implementation phase, reduce deforestation and forest degradation in Cambodia and access the Pilot for Result-Based Payment of Green Climate Change Fund’, said H.E Chuop Paris, Under Secretary General of the National Council for Sustainable Development, and Co-chair of the PEB meeting.
In line with the government’s objective, the PEB meeting approved and agreed to set the followings activities for 2018:
- FCPF II 2018 Annual Workplan and Budget
- Coordinate with other sectoral ministries for the development of an Action and Investment Plan for the implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy that includes initiatives in sectors outside the forest (Energy, Agriculture and Finance);
- Develop the first Summary of Information on Safeguard and Safeguard Information System; and
- Provide support to both NCSD and GDANCP to develop Cambodia’s first Biannual Update Report (BUR) and Technical Annex with REDD+ results from years 2015 and 2016.
Ms. Rany Pen, Officer-in-Charge of UNDP Cambodia, who Co-Chaired the PEB meeting, congratulated the efforts made by government under FCPF Phase I and updated overall key objectives of the FCPF Phase II and its project management status. She also emphasized that close collaboration with key intuitions in REDD+ institutional framework and other key stakeholders at both national, subnational and local levels is needed.
‘Having seen the significant progress under FCPF Phase I and to ensure Cambodia fully ready for REDD+, the World Bank has released its Phase II funding with additional amount of 5.2 million US dollars to Cambodia REDD+ Programme with UNDP as a delivery partner, and General Department of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection (GDANCP) of the Ministry of Environment as implementing agency.’ Ms. Pen Rany.
The FCPF Phase II will run from 2018 to 2020 to support Cambodia achieving the following outputs:
- Strengthen the capacity of the REDD+ institutional framework and encourage active participation of key stakeholders, mainly the local communities, non-government organizations, private sectors and the academia to join REDD+ activities;
- Develop a National REDD+ Action and Investment Plan and support its implementation at subnational levels;
- Develop key sectoral strategies and action plans;
- Improve subnational capacity in managing REDD+ activities;
- Enhance capacity and accuracy of the national forest monitoring system and of the forest inventory;
- Develop Cambodia’s Safeguard Information System to address risks of REDD+ interventions on social and environmental safeguard;
- Enable Cambodia to access the Pilot Green Climate Fund to support REDD+ Implementation.