Although the structures and functions of legislatures vary around the world, there are number of recurring responsibilities that the majority of legislators share. These include amending or passing laws, setting budgets and holding the government to account. As global efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in developing countries begin to mature, these parliamentary functions will begin to play an increasingly important role. This gap in the REDD+ puzzle was recognized during the work of the GLOBE International Commission on Land Use Change and Ecosystems, which was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which is a participating UN agency of the UN-REDD Programme.

In order to support the transition towards greater parliamentary engagement in REDD+, the “GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative” was launched in London last week to work directly with senior legislators by supporting their efforts to strengthen legislation and parliamentary scrutiny structures to underpin national efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation. This initiative will be coordinated by the Global Legislators Organisation (GLOBE) in collaboration with senior legislators from the four initiative countries; Brazil, and three UN-REDD Programme partner countries- the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Indonesia and Mexico.

Despite the unique nature of each country’s efforts to reduce deforestation, legislators can play a common role in relation to REDD+ by improving governance, law enforcement, financial scrutiny and accountability. By creating an international political leadership group to share effective legislation and policies, this initiative intends to play a key role in strengthening the capacity of legislators to make REDD+ a success in these four countries in the build up to the World Summit of Legislators in May 2012.

By building on the successful activities of the GEF-supported International Commission, this initiative further demonstrates the critical role that legislators must play to translate international accords into legislative frameworks. The GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative will build capacity within the parliaments of these four key REDD+ countries to pass or amend legislation, scrutinize government policy and budgets, and safeguard the rights of forest communities and Indigenous Peoples.

The Launch Workshop for the Initiative, supported by the UN-REDD Programme and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), convened senior legislators from these countries along with representatives of the potential partner organizations and environmental lawyers. The next step of this initiative will be four inception workshops that will convene cross-party legislators along with GEF Focal Points, UN-REDD Programme advisors and other partners, to define the nationally-specific goals of the initiative and to outline the main areas for south-south coordination.

Quotes from Legislators

Rodrigo Rollemberg Brazilian Senator "As Chair of the Brazilian Senate Environment Committee I will be considering the amendments to the Forest Code and advancing legislation on REDD. Participating in the GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative will enable me to understand how legislation in other countries is being developed, introduced and implemented to address challenges that are common to all our countries."

José Ignacio Pichardo Lechuga Mexican Deputy, Chair of the Special Commission on Forests in the Mexican Congress "To date Mexico’s national REDD strategy has been developed without the involvement of the Mexican Congress. As legislators, we fully support the government’s objective of achieving zero emissions from deforestation by 2020. However, in order for this ambitious goal to be achieved, it will be essential to engage legislators in this process. The GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative will strengthen our capacity to advance legislation and scrutinize the budget in support of national REDD strategies."

Hon Dr Akhmad Muqowam Indonesian MP, Chair of Commission IV on Agriculture, Plantations, Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Food "In order for REDD to be a success in Indonesia, it is critical that the national strategy is equitable and transparent. We believe that legislators can play a unique role in achieving this by providing greater parliamentary scrutiny of the government’s policies and budgets to reduce emissions from deforestation. The GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative will support GLOBE Indonesia and legislators from other key rainforest nations to achieve this goal."

Chris Stephens is Director of Forestry and Ecosystems at GLOBE International, based in London, and is responsible for managing the GLOBE Legislator Forest Initiative. For more information please contact Chris on chris.stephens@globeinternational.org