Stakeholder engagement and social inclusion workshop

Date: 27-29 Oct 2026

Venue: Windsor Hotel, Nairobi Kenya

Background and rationale

Stakeholder engagement and social inclusion are fundamental to REDD+ integrity. As African countries move from readiness to implementation and results-based finance, strong national systems are essential to ensure meaningful participation, protect rights and demonstrate that safeguards are respected.

The UNFCCC Cancun safeguards provide a common baseline, including the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, particularly Indigenous Peoples and local communities. However, countries follow different pathways, including World Bank results-based programmes and ART's TREES standard, creating a need for practical approaches that strengthen engagement across different requirements.

Moving beyond compliance on paper remains a challenge. Risks include exclusion of women, youth and vulnerable groups, elite capture of benefits, and weaknesses in grievance redress and safeguards reporting.

Building on previous regional exchanges and countries' calls for practical peer learning, this three-day workshop will help participants identify gaps, explore country experiences and develop actions to strengthen stakeholder engagement and social inclusion in REDD+ implementation. It will also pilot approaches for the forthcoming World Bank–UN-REDD Knowledge Partnership.

What participants will gain

Participants will leave with a country-level assessment of stakeholder engagement and social inclusion, a completed planning template, and practical actions to pursue over the next 6–12 months. They will also gain tools to strengthen national systems, safeguards reporting and readiness for results-based finance, alongside connections with peers for continued knowledge exchange.