It's not all academic: the REDD+ knowledge and impact showcase.

Background

As the world's 2030 forest goals draw near, REDD+ countries have accumulated more than a decade of hard-won implementation experience. The challenge now is not only to sustain this progress, but to learn from it — systematically, collaboratively, and across borders.

The UN-REDD Programme has invested in structured capacity development to meet this challenge. At the centre of this offer is the REDD+ Academy — an open-access, peer-oriented learning platform providing modular, country-validated resources on the core pillars of REDD+ implementation. Through its Learning Journals and active Communities of Practice, the Academy connects practitioners, share experiences, and supports countries in building the institutional knowledge needed to deliver results.

The REDD+ Global Summit 2026 brings together national REDD+ focal points, partner organisations, donors, and civil society for three days of technical exchange in Nairobi. The UN-REDD evening reception, held in the margins of the Summit, creates a complementary space — convivial, informal, and purposefully interactive — to showcase the Academy's learning opportunity.

Objectives

• Disseminate country impact stories to inspire national action
• Deliver engaging and educational activities to attendees, specifically REDD+ focal points.
• Demonstrate REDD+ Academy benefits as a consistent, accessible and dynamic community of practice for experts

Format

The reception is designed as a free-flowing evening event. Following brief welcome remarks, all elements run simultaneously and in parallel — guests circulate freely between the Impact Stories Gallery, the Learning Journal stations, the Communities of Practice corner, and the gamification challenge at their own pace, guided by their interests and conversations. Technical staff and country practitioners are present throughout for informal exchange. Light refreshments and drinks are served throughout the evening.

• Learning Journals stations: Seven thematic stations — one per Learning Journal — staffed by UN-REDD facilitators and country practitioners, offering hands-on access to journal content, QR-linked materials, and peer dialogue.
• Impact stories gallery: A curated gallery of UN-REDD impact stories from across regions.
• Communities of Practice corner: A space for active and prospective CoP to connect with regional and thematic peers and share what topics and support they most need from their community.
• Gamification: competitive, fun, and designed activations planned to spark conversations about REDD+ implementation.
• Roving Technical Experts: informal Q&A with UN-REDD technical experts, with a listening brief to collect feedback on capacity gaps and priority learning needs.