Colombia

Financial Performance, National Programme

REDD+ Implementation

UN-REDD trained key directors from the Colombian fund for financing the agriculture and livestock sectors (FINAGRO) in the review of their forest products and incentives portfolio, and facilitated an exchange with other national development banks in the region to strengthen their knowledge and capacities, thereby enabling them to adapt their products to finance REDD+ activities. The Programme implemented community forest management activities, enhancing social capital and developing value chains for specific products in various districts throughout the country (Antioquia, Cauca, Bolívar, Valle del Cauca, Chocó, Tolima, Putumayo, Huila). Thanks to a partnership with WWF, a South-South dialogue was convened with representatives of the afrodescendant, indigenous and peasant communities of 11 countries from the region to strengthen their capacities and share experiences, best practices and lessons learned on diversified agroforestry systems (cacao, coffee, vanilla and honey). With the support of UN-REDD, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), developed a road map for all the participatory community monitoring work related to REDD+. IDEAM also received technical support at the fourth annual seminar on forest cover monitoring – a national seminar with the participation of international panellists. Communication and dissemination materials were produced for all REDD+ activities, leading to improved knowledge management among stakeholders.

Challenges and Solutions

Changes in Government focal points delayed the delivery of technical assistance to Colombia. Country visits were combined with capacity-building directed to new personnel to address the challenges identified.

The limited availability of some of the country focal points changed the focus of the activities agreed upon under the UN-REDD technical assistance. The Programme made repeated follow-ups with the local authorities to address this challenge.

The new officials of the national entities perceived the technical assistance as isolated support from the United Nations entities involved in UN-REDD. The Programme has actively engaged focal points to address this challenge.

Gender and Social Inclusion

Gender equity was analysed in the Heart of the Amazonia Programme, in particular the important roles of women and men in the processes of conservation and preservation, the use and management of forests and jungles and raising awareness among the Programme’s stakeholders. Subsequently, the country generated the first results of the implementation of the technical assistance model for community forest management in the framework of the REDD+ national strategy (ENREDD+). Several initiatives to implement this model were carried out specifically within peasant, indigenous and afrodescendant communities. Two reports presenting the results of community-based forest management efforts, including the gender approach, were published.

At the national level, with UN-REDD support, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development convened the fourth national REDD+ platform meeting (mesa nacional REDD+) in January 2019. Capacity development was provided throughout the year to indigenous peoples’ organizations – the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) and the Organization of the Indigenous Towns of the Colombian Amazonia (OPIAC) – on the joint declaration of intent between the Government of Colombia and the Governments of Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (JDI), the REDD+ implementation framework and climate finance. With UN-REDD support, the permanent national REDD+ platform, established by indigenous peoples’ organizations and the Government of Colombia, agreed to design a national environmental commission for indigenous peoples with the mandate to deal with forest and deforestation issues in indigenous territories. This represents a milestone in the implementation of the national development plan, and a critical platform for implementing the national REDD+ strategy.

The programme supported national efforts to reactivate the participatory process between the new Government and the indigenous and Afro-Colombian organizations by improving the technical capacity of three such organizations to provide inputs for the new national development plan. Sixty local initiatives received technical information thanks to UN-REDD programme support, as part of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies’ (IDEAM) Participating Community Monitoring project.

Partnerships

Throughout implementation of the national programme, activities related to the participatory process and the National REDD+ Strategy were closely coordinated with the FCPF, the REDD Early Movers programme and Visión Amazonía, through regular meetings and joint workplans under the leadership of MADS.

Linkages to SDGs

Technical assistance to Colombia contributed to SDG 5 (gender equality), specifically to target 5.A, which stresses the importance of giving women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of natural resources. Activities contributed directly to SDG 13 (climate action), to targets 13.2 to integrate climate change measures into national policies and 13.3 to improve awareness-raising and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, as well as to SDG 15 (life on land), in particular target 15.2 by promoting the sustainable management of forests, halting deforestation and restoration of degraded forests.