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Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) workshop in Jakarta

Jakarta (Indonesia), 13 October 2009 - Climate change is one of the most fundamental challenges currently facing the planet. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation or REDD, is one of the new global initiatives to mitigate climate change, as it is estimated that Deforestation is responsible for the production of close to 20% of Green House Gases. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 offers a historical opportunity to establish a framework of international action in this area.

UNODC Indonesia on 7th October 2009, facilitated a workshop with local and international environmental experts to explore the governance issues associated with REDD. The day long workshop was held as part of UNODC Indonesia's forthcoming study on REDD implementation in Indonesia and the implications for law enforcement and anti-corruptionn efforts. The aim of the workshop was to gather the views of local and international experts actively working on REDD issues to better understand the nature of REDD and to assess the challenges and risks involved, especially those related to corruption, fraud, illegal logging. Participants were also asked to provide advice on how these can be mitigated within a new regime.

The workshop was chaired by Ajit Joy, UNODC Indonesia's Crime Prevention Expert and Oliver Stope, UNODC's Chief of Justice and Integrity Unit based in Vienna. It was attended by more than twenty participants representing Ministry of Forestry, Attorney Generals Office, Financial Intelligence Unit, Corruption Eradication Commission and non-governmental organisations working on REDD initiatives.

"While the concept of providing financial incentives to developing countries to reduce carbon emissions has increasingly featured in international climate change discussions" Mr Joy said, "the governance implications of such a regime have featured less highly". The workshop therefore presented participants with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge not only on the proposed REDD regime but explore within an Indonesian context its implications for local and national governance issues and law enforcement efforts.