In June, the FCPF’s long-running Capacity Building Program (CBP) supported a regional workshop in Accra, Ghana that brought together Indigenous Peoples and Civil Society stakeholders across eight African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda), as well as national REDD+ focal points and World Bank representatives.

Hosted by FCPF’s regional CBP implementation partner, the Mainyoito Pastoralist Integrated Development Organization (MPIDO), the workshop shared updates, knowledge, and experiences. The workshop also introduced a new project and gathered feedback from workshop participants.

The new project, entitled “Scaling up Indigenous and local communities’ capacities for effective rights-based engagement on climate change future global framework”, consists of a set of training modules and an e-learning platform. These tools have been designed to scale up capacity-building initiatives in preparation for the closure of the FCPF Readiness fund in December 2022.

Workshop presentations were given by national focal points on the status of their REDD+ programs. The content of the training modules and proposed learning platforms was discussed extensively during the workshop, with participants identifying potential challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for improving the module content and the effectiveness of proposed delivery methods.

The overall aim of the e-learning project is to support African Indigenous Peoples and civil society organizations to build the capacities needed to implement emissions reductions programs. Most countries represented at the workshop are in this preparation phase, with the exception of Ghana and Mozambique, which have already made significant progress in their emission reductions programs. In August 2021, Mozambique became the first country in the world to receive a payment from the FCPF for verified emission reductions.

Since 2008, the FCPF Capacity Building Program for Forest-Dependent Indigenous Peoples and Southern Civil Society Organizations (CBP) has been working with Indigenous Peoples, other forest-dependent communities, and southern civil society organizations to increase their understanding of REDD+ and their engagement in readiness and implementation. Over more than 10 years, the CBP has focused on national capacity building and awareness raising, including among women and youth, as well as through regional exchanges and sharing of lessons learned.

With the closure of the FCPF Readiness Fund in sight, the Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Emissions (EnABLE) fund aims to build upon the success of the CBP by supporting the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and other marginalized groups, in results-based climate finance. EnABLE was set up in December 2020 with a first contribution of €20 million from Germany (BMZ) to support inclusion and gender equity in 15 Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) countries. The fund seeks to mobilize up to $100 million to support social inclusion in FCPF Emission Reductions Programs. EnABLE’s Fund Manager, Asyl Undeland, conducted consultations with workshop participants on the fund’s strategy, main principles, and priorities.