IUCN: Legal Frameworks for REDD: Design and Implementation at the National Level (2009/2010)

Please click on the link to download the .pdf document.

****Note this document is 200+ pages.

Abstract:

An effective mechanism for reducing emissions from deforestation and
forest degradation in developing countries (REDD) could provide a
powerful tool for mitigating global carbon dioxide levels as well as
greatly enhancing developing country tropical forest conservation and
sustainable development. Given that many tropical forest countries
likely to host a majority of REDD projects also demonstrate the weakest
forest governance records in recent decades, however, the design and
implementation of legal and institutional frameworks relevant for REDD
governance will require especially careful evaluation.

Responding to this challenge, the IUCN Environmental Law Centre has
completed a comprehensive study on national legal frameworks for REDD in
conjunction with partner international and national REDD legal experts.
The report includes case studies from Brazil, Cameroon, Guyana and
Papua New Guinea, which serve as a basis for further analysis and
recommendations for the development of laws and regulations for REDD.
The report identifies the following four main themes central to ensuring
successful REDD legal regimes and elaborates relevant legal and policy
considerations with regard to each:

• Ownership of Land, Forest and Carbon
• Participation, Balancing of Rights and Interests, and Prior
  Informed Consent
• Benefit Sharing
• Additionality and Permanence