Ensuring safeguards mechanisms in programs to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Sustainable Management and Increase Carbon Stocks (REDD+) was the central theme of the REDD+ Safeguards Seminar in Brazil, held in Brasília, on the 24th and 25th July by the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), in partnership with the Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) and with the support of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). 

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The event included the participation of civil society organizations that work on the socio-environmental agenda and that make up the National Commission for REDD+ (Conaredd+), created within the scope of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA). In addition to ISA and ICV, representatives from the Federation of Bodies for Social and Educational Assistance (Fase), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon (Idesam), the Institute for Environmental Research of the Amazon (Ipam), The Nature Conservancy Brasil (TNC), the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) and the National Coordination of the Articulation of Black Rural Quilombola Communities (Conaq). 

At the opening of the seminar, the organizations created a timeline that summarized each one's participation in discussions about the carbon market and REDD+ projects and programs in Brazil, until reaching the beginning of Conaredd+'s work. 

Officially established in June 2023 by the Decree No. 11.548, of June 5, 2023, the National Commission for REDD+ is responsible for coordinating, monitoring, monitoring and reviewing Brazil's National Strategy for REDD+ and for coordinating the development of requirements for access to payments for results of REDD+ policies and actions in Brazil, recognized by the Convention- United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

One of the functions of the collegiate is to establish mechanisms to comply with safeguards for REDD+ projects and programs, aiming at territorial integrity and observing the rights of traditional peoples and communities. 

In addition to the work of Conaredd+, the organizations present at the seminar also follow the actions of the Technical Working Groups on REDD+ Safeguards; Benefits Sharing; and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification. Over the two days, representatives of the organizations discussed the role of civil society in these spaces and forms of advocacy that guarantee listening and respect for traditional peoples and communities.

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ISA's climate policy analyst, Ciro Brito, highlighted the importance of the seminar for thinking about the role of civil society and social movements in bodies that think about policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preservation in Brazil. 

"When Conaredd+ was established and ISA became one of the two representatives of civil society, our efforts were focused on working to expand the participation of civil society and indigenous peoples, quilombolas, extractivists and traditional communities in technical working groups (GTT ), which aim to advise Conaredd+. In this second moment, when the GTTs begin their activities, our work effectively becomes discussing the REDD+ policy in Brazil and proposing alternatives to make it more effective and fair", he emphasized.

Among the steps defined at the end of the seminar, the creation of a repository to allocate documents and articles on the topic and the demand for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) to systematize, in a clearer and more objective way, stand out. public information about Conaredd+'s work, aiming for a greater understanding of social movements and the traditional peoples and communities they represent. 

The seminar prepared civil society for the first meeting of the Safeguards GTT, called by the government for July 30, whose agenda was to define the work plan of this body. At this meeting, the organizations presented the demands defined in the two days of debates.

"The seminar was fundamental for aligning civil society views on the topic of safeguards, diagnosing points of attention in relation to the REDD+ policy and thinking of ways to seek to advance these points of attention. The group brought very qualified contributions, which subsidized our participation in the meeting on the 30th, the first meeting of GTT Safeguards, which was very productive", said Ciro Brito.

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What are Cancún Safeguards?

REDD+ safeguards, known as Cancún Safeguards, should be understood as guidelines that aim to enhance positive impacts and reduce negative impacts related to REDD+ programs. 

In this sense, they intend to ensure that REDD+ initiatives adequately address sensitive issues such as the rights of indigenous peoples, quilombolas and traditional communities, social participation, the preservation of natural ecosystems, the permanence of REDD+ results achieved and the risk of displacement pressure from deforestation and forest degradation to other areas.

Thus, at the 16th Conference of the Parties in Cancún, a set of seven socio-environmental safeguards were defined. Therefore, countries, when implementing REDD+ activities, must promote and support:

a) Actions complementary to or consistent with the objectives of national forestry programs and other relevant international conventions and agreements;

b) transparent and effective national forest governance structures, taking into account national sovereignty and national legislation;

c) respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and members of local communities, taking into account relevant international obligations, national circumstances and laws and noting that the UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ;

d) full and effective participation of interested parties, in particular indigenous peoples and local communities, in the actions referred to in paragraphs 70 and 72 of this decision;

e) that the actions are consistent with the conservation of natural forests and biological diversity, ensuring that the actions referred to in paragraph 70 of this decision are not used for the conversion of natural forests, but rather to encourage the protection and conservation of natural forests and their ecosystem services, and to enhance other social and environmental benefits;

f) actions to address the risks of reversals in REDD+ results;

g) actions to reduce the displacement of carbon emissions to other areas. 

In Brazil, the Cancún Safeguards must adopt the interpretation of Resolution no. 15, 2018, from Conaredd+.