REDD+, Livelihood Security and Economic Development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

April 15, 2016

2015 Annual Results Progress Report by Forest Peoples Programme covering the period from January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016

Compiled by Patrick Kipalu, DRC Country Manager Email: pkipalu@forestpeoples.org

2

Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations Executive Summary Introduction I. Project Context

I.A. Project Objectives and Activities I.A.1. Project Beneficiairies I.A.2. Project Specific Objectives I.A.3. Project Activities I.A.4. Location of Project Activities I.A.5. Report Period

II. Summary Overview of Progress

III. Review of Progress Against Logical Framework

III.A. Expected Result 1 (ER1) III.A.1. Indicators of Achievement and Narrative Discussion for ER1 III.B. Expected Result 2 (ER2) III.B.1. Indicators of Achievement and Narrative Discussion for ER2 III.B.2. Supporting Communities of Botwali (Equateur province) in their

effort of petitioning the Minister of environment on the “DILO Assistance” case

III.C. Expected Result 3 (ER3) III.C.1. Indicators of Achievement and Narrative Discussion for ER3 III.D. Expected Result 4 (ER4) III.D.1. Indicators of Achievement and Narrative Discussion for ER4 III.E. Expected Result 5 (ER5) III.E. 1. Indicators of Achievement and Narrative Discussion for ER5

IV. Using Regional and International Human Rights Mechanisms

V. Media Coverage

Conclusion

Acronyms and Abbreviations ACHPR: The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights ADEV: Action pour le Droit, l’Environnement et la Vie CAMV: Centre d’Accompagnement des Peuples Autochtones Pygmées et Minoritaires Vulnérables CEDEN: Cercle pour la Défense de l’Environnement CN-REDD: Coordination Nationale REDD COP: Conference of the Parties CSOs: Civil Society Organizations DGPA: Dynamique des Groupes des Peuples Autochtones DRC: Democratic Republic of the Congo EFI: European Forest Institute ENRTP: Environment and Natural Resources Thematic Program ERs: Expected Results ERA-WWC: Ecosystem Restoration Associates – Wildlife Works Carbon ERPD: Emissions Reduction Program Document ER-Program: Emissions Reduction Program EU: European Union FCPF: Forest Carbon Partnerchip Facility FIP: Forest Investment Program FLEGT-VPA: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreement FPIC: Free, Prior and Informed Consent FPP: Forest Peoples Programme GIS: Geographic Information System GP: Green Peace GPS: Global Positioning System GW: Global Witness HR: Human Rights IPs: Indigenous Peoples MENCSD: Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development

MONUSCO: United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of the Congo MOU: Memorandum of Understanding MRV: Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification NGO: Non-Governmental Organization OHADA:Organization for the Harmonization of African Business Law PDE: Economic Development Project PHC: Plantations and “Huileries” of Congo PNKB: Park National de Kahuzi-Biega REDD+: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation RFN: Rain Forest Norway RFUK: Rain Forest United Kingdom RPKI: Reserve des Primates de Kisimba-Ikobo RRI: Rights and Resources Initiative RRN: Réseau Ressources Naturelles Réseau-CREF: Réseau pour la Conservation et la Réhabilitation des Ecosystèmes Forestiers RTNC: Congolese National Radio and Television SENAQUA: National Service of Aquaculture SENASEM: National Service of Seeds Sida: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIS: System for Information on Safeguards TFD: The Forest Dialogue UK: United Kingdom UPR: Universal Periodic Review UN-REDD: United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WB: World Bank WCS: Wildlife Conservation Society WRI: World Resources Institute WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature

4

Executive Summary This project aims to promote community customary land rights and livelihood security, economic development and sustainable poverty reduction in REDD+ pilot areas and key forest zones in the DRC through supporting protection for human rights and sustained investments in economic development activities with forest communities on the basis of their FPIC1, with specific focus on marginalized groups including indigenous peoples, women and youth. The initiative is implemented by FPP2working in tandem collaboration with 6 Congolese local NGOs3 partners in 8 provinces throughout the DRC. To achieve expected results, the project focuses on providing information and building local capacities, supporting communities to protect their rights, including their land rights, advocating and influencing policies for communities’ rights at the national level, developing and implementing new rural investment models appropriate to rural peoples’ aspirations that could be replicated and scaled up as REDD+ funds eventually arrived, working in collaboration with the Coordination Nationale – REDD (CN-REDD) on FPIC, and creating viable channels for REDD+ benefit sharing that would actually reduce rural poverty in DRC over the long-term. Launched in January 2015 project activities have reached directly over 165 local and IPs communities, and indirectly 45 more communities, located in and around 13 REDD+ pilot projects, 2 FIP supply areas, and the Mai-Ndombe Emission Reduction program area. Covering the period from January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, this report draws on partners’ periodic reports, field missions, as well as project publications; and highlights the progress made toward achieving the project goal during the specified period. The project’s first year was effective, and delivered according to expected results despite some delays at the beginning of the year. Among key results achieved, the following are noted:

• Local and indigenous communities of around 205 villages are informed about REDD+, and their human rights. They have also participated in provincial dialogues on natural resources management organized by the project during the year. In total targeted communities have benefited from over 192 information sharing sessions and trainings on REDD+, and human rights (FPIC, and customary land tenure rights, etc.), and multi-actor dialogues organized by FPP and local partners – with over 5000 posters and flyers shared. Informed communities are able to make informed decisions down the line and successfully influence the REDD+ process. This is already the case with communities targeted by this project;

1 FPIC: Free, Prior, and Informed Consent 2FPP: Forest Peoples Programme 3 NGO: No Governmental Organization

• Targeted decision-makers are informed about the impacts of deforestation

on forest communities’ human rights in DRC, through a report published by the project and organized information sharing meetings;

• Slight increase in revenues and/or number of daily meals recorded in households from communities who have benefited from small economic development projects (PDEs). In fact, several small projects ranging from support to small-scale community agriculture, fish ponds development, live stocks raising, reforestation, to community forestry were funded during the year based on communities’ FPIC;

• Increase in institutional, technical and logistical capacity of local partners due to the project support (technical and financial trainings, salaries, equipment: cars, motorbikes, computers, GPS, etc.);

• Completion of the DRC first harmonized guide on FPIC for mandatory

implementation under REDD+. This is a result of the project strong engagement with the government through the CN-REDD. The guide will be signed into law after completion of the field-test phase scheduled to be completed by the end of the year 2015;

• Production and validation of 7 community maps representing communities’ customary lands. Communities are already using the maps in different efforts to secure their customary rights and/or in negotiations with REDD+ project developers or other investors targeting their customary lands;

• Development and validation of the community Paralegal Guide. This is a tool of support for community legal works. The paralegal guide is already in use in communities for the training of trainers in North-Kivu province;

• Signature of the “Arrêté 025” related to the implementation of the community forestry decree (decree 014/18 of August 02, 2014);

• Validation of REDD+ national standards, and strong safeguards for the

Emission Reduction Program (ERPD) of Mai-Ndombe;

• Declared public engagement of the government to re-launch the land reform process, and to promote measures securing communities’ customary rights. This is a result of the national workshop on the land reform process that was funded by this project and organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Affairs in Kinshasa;

6

• Triggering of the process of creation of an enclave in the Biosphere Reserve of Luki in the Kongo-Central province to secure land rights for the community the Makiobo-Nzazi village;

• Reforestation of over 60 hectares of degraded-forests in and around the

Biosphere Reserve of Luki in the Kongo-Central province. A systematic review of the project progress over this first year, based upon the approved project logical framework is provided in the narrative with references to related indicators. Activities were carried out in Mai-Ndombe, Ituri, Equateur, Kongo-Central, Kasai-Central, Lomami, North-Kivu and South-Kivu provinces by FPP in collaboration with local partners: CEDEN, DGPA, RRN, ADEV, Réseau-CREF and CAMV.

Introduction The DRC is a key player in efforts to address global deforestation and mitigate climate change. It has the second largest swath of rainforests in the world—152 million hectares, accounting for most of the remaining rainforest in the Congo Basin. The country has been engaging in and championing the REDD+4 process since 2008. In 2012, the DRC adopted a National REDD+ Strategy, which seeks to illustrate a vision for how a country can meet its long-term development aspirations through a green economy. The strategy aims to stabilize forest cover on two–thirds of the country’s land area by 2030 and maintain it thereafter. Currently, the country is in the process of developing large-scale REDD+ programs for result-based payments, such as the Emission Reduction Programs of the Mai-Ndombe province. These are described as being intended to deliver significant climate impact, critical development benefits and unprecedented learning for the FCPF5 Carbon Fund. Since 2010 the DRC had established REDD+ pilot areas across the country. During the last five years, our field experience with local partners working in Kongo-Central, Mai-Ndombe, Equateur, Ituri, Kasai-Central, Lomami, North and South Kivu provinces has already identified over a dozen REDD+ pilot projects or initiatives which are to target - for conservation - forests upon which local and indigenous peoples rely for their livelihoods, through hunting, gathering and sustainable slash-and-burn agriculture. Many of those local and indigenous communities remains almost completely uninformed and uninvolved in the conception or design of those projects, even though their livelihood rights are affected by initiatives that aim to reduce access, and so place obstacles in the way of the recognition of their rights, to their customary lands. Although this is stated as being necessary in order to protect the forests that are on their customary lands, as part of the global effort to slow climate change, in fact the science demonstrates very clearly that securing indigenous peoples tenure rights, if accompanied by an effective commitment to conservation, is the most effective way to secure forests and so help combat climate change. The potential benefits to rural forest communities from REDD+ initiatives in DRC are considerable, given that they are the main users and custodians of the forests targeted by those projects. In theory, benefit sharing arrangements deriving from such REDD+ schemes could deliver much needed resources into rural areas to support long-term development efforts, and in theory this could help offset the loss of some lands communities require to secure their livelihoods, in exchange for direct economic benefits. However, although this makes sense in theory, in practice the science demonstrates that, while such benefit sharing arrangements are welcomed by communities, unless they are accompanied by a process that enables communities to secure their community tenure rights, these approaches to protecting the forests are very unlikely to be successful.

4REDD+: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation 5 Forest Carbon Partnership Facility

8

I. Project Context In 2010 Sida6 agreed to fund FPP on a short-term basis for work in Equateur province to support communities in and around the Lac Tumba REDD+ pilot area to become informed about their rights as well as the national REDD+ process, and to engage government and forest planners directly over its design. This resulted in a meeting in the provincial capital Mbandaka between national forest and environment ministries, the DRC’s national REDD committee, regional authorities including the governor, and NGOs supporting forest communities in 5 other DRC provinces. Based upon the success of that initiative, and in collaboration with 4 national NGO partners, FPP developed a new 3-year project that sought to scale up this work nationally across DRC in all of the REDD+ pilot areas in Kongo-Central, Mai-Ndombe, Equateur, Oriental, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, with a focus on human rights, capacity building and the development of alternative income sources for rural people. The overall goal of the project was: to promote poverty alleviation in REDD pilot areas in the DRC through supporting protection for human rights and sustained investments in economic development activities with forest communities on the basis of their free, prior and informed consent. The project aimed to do this by providing information and building local capacities, supporting communities to protect their rights, including their land rights, developing and implementing new rural investment models appropriate to rural peoples’ aspirations that could be replicated and scaled up as REDD+ funds eventually arrived, and creating viable channels for REDD benefit sharing that would actually reduce rural poverty in DRC over the long-term. In early 2011 the Swedish Embassy in Kinshasa agreed to fund this ambitious project, which started in September 2011 (Sida project 52070201). After a few years, the results of this initiative were remarkable and far exceeded our expectations. Working with 4 national NGO partners, the project reached 305 indigenous and local communities located around 13 REDD+ pilot projects in six provinces across the country. Communities benefitted from the project through information about global warming and DRC’s national REDD+ program, as well as the specific REDD+ pilot(s) impacting their lands; capacity building about their human rights, DRC’s national laws and UN-REDD7 community safeguards; facilitation for the development of community-based economic development projects (PDEs) on the basis of communities’ free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), and participation in national level processes influencing DRC’s overall REDD+ program.

6Sida: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency 7UN-REDD: United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program

All of the works undertaken were monitored using GPS8-enabled smartphones and open source software, and new bespoke software to enable communities to map their lands swiftly were developed and deployed in the field. Part of the project’s national political and media engagement included The Forest Dialogue (TFD) organized in Kinshasa in 2012, which marked the beginning of a series of high profile media events, news items and national TV talk shows with FPP and local partners about DRC’s REDD+ program and especially communities’ right to give or withhold their FPIC over decisions about the future of their lands and forests. By supporting communities to directly engage REDD+ project developers (including conservation agencies and private sector carbon traders) in effective ways, the design of those initiatives have, since, improved and community safeguards have a much higher profile in their design. By helping communities identify and then implement successful community based income generating projects, the project generated appropriate models for community benefit sharing easily replicable by REDD+ schemes. These impacts multiplied nationally, and the combination of community based work and direct engagement of DRC’s national REDD process has meant that the project secured explicit commitment from the government for the FPIC principle as a key community safeguard, and FPP and local NGO partners gained critical profile and prominence in discussions about DRC’s REDD+ program at both national and provincial levels. The successes of this 3-year Sida-funded project in supporting communities (2011 – 2014), means that targeted communities are now well placed to engage effectively with the national REDD+ program as various Carbon funds and FIP funds have now become available to the government. In February 2014 FPP met with Swedish embassy staff in Kinshasa to discuss the way forward, and it was suggested then that FPP submit a basic concept note describing the broad outlines of our plans going forward, for discussions. These discussions formed the basis of this current project: “REDD+, Livelihood Security and Economic Development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)”that FPP submitted to the embassy in May 2014, and which was later approved for funding for 3 years. I.A. Project Objectives and Activities This new project: “REDD+, Livelihood Security and Economic Development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)” capitalizes on the results of the previous 3 years of investments by the Sida project 52070201. Launched in January 2015, the project is implemented through a partnership between FPP and 6 local NGOs in 8 provinces across the DRC. The 6 local NGOs partners are: Action pour le Droit, l’Environnement et la Vie (ADEV) working in

8GPS: Global Positioning System

10

Kongo-Central province, Reseau Ressources Naturelles (RRN) working in Mai-Ndombe province, Dynamique des Groupes des Peuples Autochtones (DGPA) implementing project’s activities in Kasaï-Central and Lomami provinces, Réseau pour la Conservation et la Réhabilitation des Ecosystemes Forestiers (Reseau - CREF) in North-Kivu, Cercle pour la Défense de l’Environnement (CEDEN) in Equateur and Mai-Ndombe provinces, and the Centre d’Accompagnement des Peuples Autochtones et Minoritaires Vulnerables (CAMV) in South-Kivu and Ituri provinces. The goal of this project is to promote community customary land rights and livelihood security, economic development and sustainable poverty reduction in REDD+ pilot areas and key forest zones in the DRC through supporting protection for human rights and sustained investments in economic development activities with forest communities on the basis of their FPIC, with specific focus on marginalized groups including indigenous peoples, women and youth. I.A.1. Project Beneficiaries The project targets four main beneficiary groups: (1) Rural forest communities in general: by helping rural forest communities from around REDD+ pilot areas to secure their rights, and their direct participation in the conception, development, implementation, benefit-sharing and monitoring and evaluation of economic development activities targeting their improved economic welfare. (2) Rural women: by prioritizing the participation of women at all stages of project work, in order to ensure that they become informed about their rights, secure key roles in the development and implementation of project activities, and become significant stakeholders in benefit sharing in all 8 provinces. (3) Indigenous peoples: by capitalizing on FPP’s expertise and well-established approach to ensure that indigenous peoples are specifically supported to secure their land rights and participation in all stages of the project work, in line with international human rights standards and their FPIC9. (4) Rural civil society: by supporting capacity development of local partner NGOs to ensure that training and economic development activities can be sustained long after project funding and technical support from FPP ends.

9FPIC: Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.

I.A.2. Project Specific Objectives The project’ 5 specific objectives are: 1. To promote application of strong REDD+ safeguards and FLEGT - VPA10 governance reforms, agreements and standards: to strengthen forest community land tenure and governance, regulation and laws. 2. To build the capacities of communities in REDD+ pilot areas and their support organizations and government institutions on finance, gender, participatory mapping, project management and human rights, as well as the national REDD+ program and the specific REDD+ pilots affecting them. 3. To support the establishment of community Monitoring, Verification and Reporting (MRV) systems, and to test and validate community MRV on deforestation drivers linked to benefit sharing systems supporting REDD+. 4. To improve application of commodity chain safeguards by supporting the implementation of voluntary social and environmental certification and safeguards in commodity supply chains. 5. To promote dialogue, learning and collaboration to institutionalize the successes of Phase 1outcomes into DRC’s national REDD+ strategy by sharing lessons, extending outreach and communication with civil society and the government by working directly with the Coordination Nationale-REDD (CN-REDD)11 on FPIC and the development of benefit sharing mechanisms at the national level. I.A.3. Project Activities The project activities’ include: (i) Technical and legal capacity building support by FPP to forest communities and their support organizations:

• Financial and project management trainings for partners and local collaborators;

• Legal and human rights trainings for civil society, including ongoing legal advice, and support on the ground;

• Community capacity building around REDD pilot areas; • Gender training;

(ii) Community consultation and engagement with public and private agencies:

• Community consultations around REDD pilot areas;

10 FLEGT - VPA: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade - Voluntary Partnership Agreements 11CN-REDD: Coordination Nationale -REDD

12

• Meetings between communities and agencies involved in REDD+ pilots and conservation projects.

(iii) Participatory mapping of community customary areas:

• Consultations to secure community FPIC and support community participatory mapping training, including identification of monitoring criteria;

• Acquisition and deployment of equipment to local partners and communities;

• Data collection, for project monitoring, and for community MRV; • Map production, validation and utilization in dialogues/negotiations.

(iv) Development and implementation of practical MRV and SIS measurement tools, with data collection:

• Consultations to integrate community and other MRV criteria relating to deforestation drivers, safeguards and non-carbon benefits of forests, to incorporate these into software and to deploy into smartphones in the field;

• Data collection for MRV and System for Information on Safeguards (SIS); • Data management and relevant to national MRV systems and SIS.

(v) Investments in community-based development actions:

• Consultations to develop community development plans linked to community maps and MRV data collection activities;

• Investment and support for community-based development projects (PDEs) in MRV areas on the basis of community FPIC.

(vi) Monitoring and advising on compliance with commodity safeguard standards:

• Field investigations of in areas targeted for palm oil or other commodity development projects;

• Meetings between affected communities and commodity companies including mediation meetings;

• Supporting communities and companies to implement agreements achieved.

(vii) Documentation and communication: • Document translation, production and publication/circulation English to

French; • Media and outreach in the DRC and internationally.

(viii) Regional Dialogues:

• Regional meetings, at provincial and national levels, and participation by key figures in targeted international processes;

• Publication.

I.A.4. Location of Project’s Activities: This project in being implemented in 8 provinces, in collaboration with 6 local NGO partners based on detailed – annual work-plans developed in the beginning of the year: (1) Kongo-Central province: ADEV is successfully working with 55 communities in and around the Luki Biosphere Reserve’s REDD+ Pilot project. (2) Mai Ndombe province: CEDEN is continuing its work with communities in the ERA carbon concession project area, and is collaborating with RRN on the ERP of Mai-Ndombe. (3) Equateur province: CEDEN is working with communities in the Lac Tumba-Lac Tele Trans-boundary Landscape, and this links with other FPP work through a separately funded project to support IP12 in and around Lac Tele across the Congo River in the Republic of Congo. (4) Ituri province: CAMV is working in Mambasa to support IPs from around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, where massive immigration from North Kivu that is rapidly disenfranchising them from their lands is being exacerbated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) REDD+ pilot project. (5) Kasai-Central province: DGPA is working with IPs of the Tshiefu groupment in the territory of Dimbelenge on customary lands and livelihood security in areas under FIP13 activities to address deforestation and degradation in and around the Mbuji-Mayi -Kananga supply area. (6) North Kivu province: Reseau CREF is continuing its work with local and indigenous communities living in and around conservation and REDD+ pilot areas in North Kivu, including the Virunga Park area. (7) South Kivu province: CAMV is supporting forest communities in and around the territories of Kabare and Kalehe for their customary lands and livelihood security, and to influence the Kahuzi - Biega National Park REDD+ pilot project. (8) Lomami province: DGPA is working with communities on customary lands and livelihood security in areas under FIP activities in and around the Mbuji-Mayi -Kananga supply area.

12 IPs: Indigenous Communities 13FIP: Forest Investment Program

14

I.A.5. Report Period: This annual results progress report covers the main activities carried out by the project between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2016. The audited financial report (attached to this report) covers expenditures during the same period.

II. Summary Overview of Progress: This first year of the project was productive and delivered according to expected results despite some delays at the beginning of the year, due mainly, to preparation of partners (capacity building) and contracts’ processing to lay strong ground for a successful launch of activities. Project activities were carried out, in 8 provinces across the country, in line with the project logical framework reaching directly 165 local and IPs communities located in and around 13 REDD+ pilot projects, 2 FIP projects supply areas, as well as the ER-Program of Mai-Ndombe area. To enforce the particular gender focus of the project, FPP and local partners engage them-selves contractually at the beginning of the year to particularly encourage women, IP and youth engagement. During the year, they prioritized the participation of women and IPs at all stages in project work, and always reported on participation with a gender-desegregation. This ensured in targeted communities that women were informed about their rights, and women secured key roles in the development and implementation of project activities. With the capacity built women are proving to be significant stakeholders in benefit sharing in all 8 provinces. A full project gender strategy is in discussion for development during the project year 2. The project steering committee also played a key role during the year in monitoring implementation and providing effective recommendation to ensure achievement of the project expected results. Due to conflicting busy schedules of the committee members and to the fact that project implementation on the ground began with a few month delay – only two meetings of the steering committee were held out of the four planned during year 1. Two field missions of the steering committee were planned during year 1 in Ituri, North-Kivu and South-Kivu provinces. But for security concerns the Ituri province field mission was postpone for year 2 – and the mission to South-Kivu and North-Kivu was successfully carried out in November 2015. Building on the results of the first project (2011-2014), activities of this current project are implemented in some same communities targeted by the first project. In fact, all of the technical, logistical, and financial investments made, in the benefit of communities and local partners between 2011-2014 are being capitalized now, and served as building-ground during year 1. A complete list of communities/villages involved and benefiting from this project is annexed to this report.

16

This first year of the project was marked by the following main activities:

• A 3-day national planning meeting held in Kinshasa from February 3-7, 2015. Attended by a total of 28 persons: FPP (8), ADEV (3), CEDEN (5), Reseau-CREF (3), CAMV (3), DGPA (3) and RRN (3) this meeting offered an opportunity for local partners’ technical and financial capacities building by FPP as appropriate trainings were organized during the gathering – and also allowed partners to plan activities for the project first year;

• Communities’ consultations to gain communities’ FPIC, to develop and/or influence local initiatives;

• REDD+ information sharing sessions, and human rights trainings for partners, affected communities, and other stakeholders;

• Investments in small economic development projects at community level

based on community FPIC;

• Creation and maintenance of political spaces of dialogues to discuss community rights, forests governance, and REDD+ implementation with decision-makers, private sector actors and other stakeholders;

• Field research and publication of the case study on the impacts of deforestation on forest communities’ human rights in DRC;

• Capacity building of local partners and communities on Community-based MRV – in order to develop clear sets of indicators and criteria ensuring that community-MRV addresses local and national information needs;

• Maintenance of a strong national profile, and high level engagement with government through the CN-REDD for mandatory implementation of community rights to FPIC as part of REDD+ safeguards in DRC;

• Participatory mapping exercises in some targeted communities, which

resulted in the production and validation of 7 maps of communities’ customary lands;

• Meetings of the project steering committee – with field visits to monitor implementation of project activities in North-Kivu and South-Kivu provinces;

• Development and validation of the community paralegal guide to support communities’ legal efforts/works at the local level;

• Advocacy, and technical support for the development and signature of the “Arrêté 025” for the implementation of the community forestry decree (decree 014/18 of August 02, 2014);

• Validations of strong REDD+ national standards, and strong safeguards

for the Emission Reduction Program of Mai-Ndombe;

• Advocacy for the re-launch of the country land reform process, and the promotion of measures to secure communities’ customary rights. A national workshop on the status of the land reform process was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Affairs from 24-25 March, 2016 in Kinshasa;

• Strong media engagement to ensure project activities’ visibility and information sharing across the country;

• The triggering of the process of creation of an enclave in the Biosphere Luki Reserve in Kongo-Central province to secure lands for the community of the Makiobo-Nzazi village;

• Reforestation of over 60 hectares of degraded-forest in and around the

Biosphere Reserve of Luki in the Kongo-Central province;

• A provincial dialogue on land tenure issues in Kongo-Central.

These activities had led, during the year, to the achievement of the following key results: • Local and indigenous communities of around 205 villages are informed about REDD+, and their human rights. Informed communities are able to make informed decisions down the line and successfully influence the REDD+ process in the country. This is already the case with communities targeted by this project; • Targeted decision-makers informed about the impacts of deforestation on forest communities’ human rights in DRC, through a report published by the project and organized information sharing meetings; • Slight increase in revenues and/or number of daily meals recorded in households from communities who have benefited from small economic development projects (PDEs); • Increase in institutional, technical and logistical capacity of local partners due to the project support (technical and financial trainings, salaries, equipment: cars, motorbikes, computers, GPS, etc.);

18

• Completion of the DRC first harmonized guide on FPIC for mandatory implementation under REDD+ is completed. This is a result of the project strong engagement with the government through the CN-REDD. The guide will be signed into law after completion of the field-test phase scheduled to be completed by the end of the year 2015; • Production and validation of 7 community maps representing communities’ customary lands. Communities are already using the maps in different efforts to secure their customary rights and/or in negotiations with REDD+ project developers or other investors targeting their customary lands; • Development and validation of the community Paralegal Guide. This is a tool of support for community legal work. The paralegal guide is already in use in communities for the training of trainers in North-Kivu province; • Signature of the “Arrêté 025” related to the implementation of the community forestry decree (decree 014/18 of August 02, 2014); • Validation of REDD+ national standards, and strong safeguards for the Emission Reduction Program (ERPD) of Mai-Ndombe; • Declared public engagement of the government to re-launch the land reform process, and to promote measures securing communities’ customary rights. This is a result of the national workshop on the land reform process that was funded by this project and organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Affairs in Kinshasa; • Triggering of the process of creation of an enclave in the Biosphere Reserve of Luki in the Kongo-Central province to secure land rights for the community Makiobo-Nzazi village; • Reforestation of over 60 hectares of degraded-forests in and around the Biosphere Reserve of Luki in the Kongo-Central province. Sida’s role in funding the project is prominent in all reports and media broadcastings or coverage: appearances on various national television and radio channels as well as newspapers, at the provincial and capital levels, and via the FPP’s website.

Map showing the location of the Mambasa territory where project activities are being implemented in Ituri Province. CAMV. 2015.

20

III. Review of Progress Against Logical Framework Based upon the approved project logical framework, which contains 5 specific objectives also translated as Expected Results (ERs), below we systematically review achievements towards the 5 ERs during this first year. In the narrative description for each ER, references are made to the indicators used to measure progress on delivery on the activities that were carried out across the country over the past year in Mai-Ndombe, Ituri, Equateur, Kongo-Central, Kasai-Central, Lomami, North-Kivu and South-Kivu provinces by FPP in collaboration with local partners: CEDEN, DGPA, RRN, ADEV, Réseau CREF and CAMV. The key sources of data supporting the narrative discussions for each ER come from field reports of FPP staff during training and monitoring missions in the 8 provinces; quarterly narrative reports from local partners; workshop and training reports; publications, and; geo-tagged and time-stamped data on project implementation collected via smartphones by all project staff 14. Over this past year the Kinshasa project office15 has remained the hub of operations for project activities around the country under the dynamic leadership of FPP’s DRC manager Patrick Kipalu. It was initially planned that a technical assistant will be hired during Year 1 to join the Kinshasa project office but FPP decided to postpone the hiring to Year 2 in order to allow proper internal preparation. The role of FPP was central to the implementation of activities during year 1. In fact, FPP planned project activities with all partners, carried out missions of capacity building in targeted provinces (in the benefits of communities and local partners), delivered trainings (technical and financial) as necessary, carried out provincial consultations, engaged with other stakeholders and/or allies, and lobbied the government and ensured the creation and maintaining of political spaces of dialogues at the provincial and national levels,. The project policy work at the national level is conducted by FPP. Furthermore FPP supports the process of development of training materials and publications, the collection and treatment of project local partners’ quarterly reports, and ensures project coordination countrywide. FPP intervenes also in developing synergies with other related initiatives, and ensures international outreach. FPP team in Kinshasa follows up with central government to ensure that government decisions made or government declared engagements, as a result of this project advocacy, are effectively followed up by actions by the government. Proactive engagement through meetings, dialogues, information sharing, development of policy briefs, direct advocacy, and creation of necessary synergies help the follow up process. FPP team in Kinshasa also interacts with the Swedish Embassy in Kinshasa on

14Please note that FPP and local partners retain full copyright to all photos in this report. Reproduction by written permission only. 15Forest Peoples Programme – Boulevard du 30 Juin No 34, Suite 32, Gombe, Kinshasa - RDC. Tel: +243 81 542 50 52.

project related matters. On November 24, 2015 and April 29, 2016 the Kinshasa based project coordinator attended meetings with the Swedish Embassy in Kinshasa, during which updates on project implementation were shared and discussed. During Year 1 project implementation was guided by the approved and translated logical framework, along with decisions made by FPP and local partners at the annual planning workshop in February 2015, as well as information contained in the environmental assessment document and contingency plan. The contingency plan has been of particular use during the past year due to the ongoing insecurity situations in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, since it helps to frame the way FPP and local partners adapted the timing and location of activities on the ground to respond to the changing security situations, and which in fact ensured that almost all of the planned activities were able to be implemented in the affected project areas – but under more secure conditions for all FPP staff during fields visits, and for field staff working in North-Kivu for Réseau CREF and in Ituri for CAMV. Some legal training planned by FPP lawyers were not carried out in communities during this year mostly because of security concerns in certain areas of Eastern and Ituri provinces, and difficulties to access certain zones by road in Western provinces during the long nine-month rainy season. All unrealized trainings during Year 1 are planned to take place during Year 2. The February 2015 annual planning meeting helped to present and discuss annual work plans for each partner as all partners’ work is defined and guided by contracts and MOUs that FPP developed and signed with each of them. The MoUs, among other details, contains also specific provisions to enforce the gender-focus of the project: e.g. requiring partners to encourage and support women participation, and to report on participation with a gender-desegregation. During the year, partners prioritized the participation of women at all stages of project activities on the ground. This ensured, in targeted communities, that women are informed about their rights, and women secured key roles in the development and implementation of project activities. The project second year (Year 2) annual planning meeting was held in April 2016 in Kinshasa and helped develop and discuss the next year annual plans, which the summary is attached to this report. During Year 1 partners produced regular quarterly narrative and financial reports on their work, linked to cash flow forecasts and financial disbursements from FPP. Original receipts and financial reports are centralized in FPP’s UK office.

22

III.A. Expected Results 1 (ER1): Strong REDD safeguards and VPA governance reforms are applied (partially achieved – and in progress) III.A.1. Indicators of Achievement and Narrative Discussion for ER1 The recommendations contained in meeting reports, legal analysis of safeguards and governance reforms, training materials on REDD+ safeguards and VPA governance reforms, as well as geo-tagged and time-stamped data from field signaling compliance with safeguards – are key indicators toward the achievement of the ER1. During Year 1 FPP has effectively worked with local partners, communities, government and other stakeholders to influence REDD+ and forest governance processes at provincial and national levels for strong safeguards. This synergized work has led to key achievements toward ER1 as described below:

• Validation of DRC national REDD+ standards with strong wording on safeguards. In fact, 3 FPP staff based in Kinshasa worked specifically on this issue using information from the field (from local partners and communities), and provided support to CN-REDD with other stakeholders for the development and validation of the DRC national REDD+ standards. The 3 FPP staffs were members of a small CN-REDD working group called “GT5” in charge of the REDD+ safeguards work. After the completion of the work of the GT5, a national workshop of validation of national standards was organized by the CN-REDD from 12-13 January 2016 with the support of the national government, the FCPF of the WB, the UN-REDD, and the EFI;

• Completion of the DRC FPIC guide, which is now under the field-testing phase before being validated, and signed into law for mandatory implementation. FPP and local partners are main partners of CN-REDD, alongside WWF, and EFI for the development this guide. Through this project, FPP provided technical and financial support to the DRC government through CN-REDD to work on FPIC. The support allowed CN-REDD to hire 2 consultants to develop FPIC harmonized guidelines. Three field-test missions are scheduled from May to October 2016 in REDD+ pilot zones, including the ERP of Mai-Ndombe area in order to confront the guide with on-the-ground realities, before its validation and transformation into a “Ministerial Arrêté”, and eventually signed into law16.

16CN-REDD: Expérimenter le guide méthodologique CLIP harmonisé pour préparer sa mise en oeuvre.

• Signature of the “Arrêté 025” necessary to the implementation of the Prime Minister’s decree on community forestry. The decree 14/018 signed by the DRC Prime Minister on August 2, 2014 is seen as a notable improvement to the land tenure and forest governance regime in the country. CSOs17, IPs and local communities waited for the decree with high hopes since the Forest Code was adopted in 2002, paving the way for a new forest governance framework. The decree is a significant move towards strengthening local communities’ rights. On the one hand it gives IPs and local communities the possibility to transform part of or all their customarily occupied forests into a community-controlled and managed concession, and makes community forests more accessible for local forest communities. On the other hand, the DRC government acknowledging communities’ need to access and benefit from their forests is a huge step forward. More interestingly, the forest concession is attributed perpetually and free of charge. Forest concessions would entitle indigenous and local communities to exploit their customary forests in all its forms, subject to the observance of rules and practices of sustainable management. But we recognize that the current text of the decree has shortcomings in the form of bureaucratic constraints and red tape. In addition, the Government was dragging its legs in adopting subsequent implementing measures to accompany the decree, namely the ministerial Arrêté on the management of communities’ forest concessions, meaning that effective implementation was still a long way ahead. Then through this project, FPP and local partners played key roles during 2015 in advocating for, and in drafting the needed “Arrêté”. FPP participated in, and technically and financially supported various meetings and/or actions taken Congolese CSOs in Kinshasa and/or around the country to advocate for the signature of the “Arrêté”. The Arrêté is designed to ensure the modalities and criteria for granting, managing and exploiting communities’ forests concessions. On July 21, 2015 the MENCSD released a draft Ministerial Arrêté, which was shared with CSOs, and all relevant stakeholders including international NGO18 such as FPP, WRI19, RFUK20, GW21, Greenpeace, RFN22, RRI23, etc. FPP provided substantive inputs and comments to the proposed draft, and took an active role during the multi-stakeholders validation workshop held in Kinshasa from 29-31 July 2015. Finally, the relevant Minister signed the text on 09 February 2016. Now, part of the project work is focusing on the ground with communities on necessary preparation for implementation.

17CSOs: Civil Society Organizations 18NGO: Non Governmental Organization 19WRI: World Resources Institute 20RFUK: Rainforest Foundation-United Kingdom 21GW: Global Witness 22RFN: Rainforest Foundation Norway 23RRI: Rights Resources Initiatives

24

• Strong safeguards included in the Mai-Ndombe ER-PD24 document. FPP and local partners successfully influenced discussions at the FCPF25, and with the DRC government concerning the Mai-Ndombe ER-P to include strong safeguards for communities’ rights, with references made to the respect of communities’ rights to FPIC.

CEDEN and RRN, with the support of FPP, are working with communities, which are to be affected by the Mai-Ndombe ER-P: communities of Mpole, Mabonzi, Nkuboko, Kesenge, Ilee, and Mbali villages in the territory of Kutu (for CEDEN), and communities of the Ikala groupment in the territory of Oshwe and communities of the Bonkita village in the territory of Kutu (for RRN). Both CEDEN and RRN organized 5 consultations meetings and information sharing sessions focused on the Mai-Ndombe ERP (3 meetings in Mpole and Mbali villages, and 2 meetings in Ikala) to help communities receive all the necessary information about the program in order to be able to secure their rights, and influence its design and implementation. FPP contributed to the development of training materials (such as FPIC posters) and other flyers and/or information sheets on safeguards and REDD+ used during the training sessions. Communities received strong support to participate into local and provincial meetings and workshops concerning the ERP in Mai-Ndombe. Countrywide over 192 information sharing and training sessions were organized during Year 1 in 8 provinces, targeting over 165 communities estimated to around 95.000 peoples among which around 38.000 (40%) are women and 19.000 (20%) are IPs26. The largest number of meetings happened in North-Kivu (57), 15 meetings in South-Kivu, 19 in Mai-Ndombe, 13 in Kasai-Central, 6 in Lomami, 32 in Kongo-Central, 35 in Equateur, and 22 in Ituri province27.

• Triggered process of creation of the Makiobo-Nzazi enclave in the

Biosphere Reserve of Luki in the Kongo-Central province to correct historical injustices that happened during the creation of that reserve, and give back pieces of traditional lands to communities of the “Makiobo-Nzazi” village. This is a result of ADEV’s direct engagement with local authorities per request of communities to address land conflicts between communities of Makiobo-Nzazi and the Biosphere Reserve of Luki.

• Public declared engagement of the provincial government of the Kongo-

Central province for the recognition and protection of community customary land rights through the on-going land reform process. This is a result of the Kongo-Central provincial dialogue on land tenure in the districts of Boma and Bas-Fleuve organized by the project during Year 1. The meeting was organized with strong involvement of the provincial

24ER-PD: Emission Reduction Programs Document of Mai-Ndombe 25FCPF: Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank 26Estimations from field missions and partners’ reports. 27Source: field missions’ reports, communities’ testimonies and local partners’ reports.

government, private sector, civil society and communities. In order to ensure that this public engagement is effectively implemented, FPP and ADEV continue to engage authorities, vulgarizing the recommendations of the workshop to all stakeholders, and other advocacy activities will follow during Year 2.

Participants work in commissions during the Kongo-Central provincial dialogue on land tenure in the districts of Boma and Bas-Fleuve. ADEV. 2015.

III.B. Expected Results 2 (ER2) Capacity Building: capacity building for communities on REDD+ pilot areas and their support organizations and government institutions on finance, gender, participatory mapping, project management and human rights, as well as the national REDD+ program and pilots affecting them (partially achieved - and in progress)

26

III.B.1. Indicators of achievement and narrative discussion for ER2 According to the approved logical framework, indicators to verify achievement of this ER2 are: “all local partners completing activities on time, within budget, and using technology based project monitoring and reporting system - training materials, reports and briefings, disaggregated attendance lists (per gender) and evaluation forms, as well as responses of partners during training and requests for technical legal and human rights support emerging from the trainings”. This project capitalizes on the successful previous 3-year phase, which substantially invested in local partners and communities’ capacity building. For instance all local partners are still using all the vehicles (7), motorbikes (9), several computers, printers, generators, Internet connection materials, GPS enabled phones, GPS, trainings, etc. acquired during the first phase of the project (2011-2014). All investments (materials, trainings, community structures, PDEs, etc.) of the previous project were used as building ground during last year (Year 1 of the current project). Key results achieved during last year concerning the ER2 are:

• Targeted communities, local partners, government agencies, and other affected stakeholders are well informed on REDD+, FPIC, and trained on human rights. Substantial technical support was provided to communities, local partners, government agencies, and other stakeholders. In fact, around 200 information sharing sessions and trainings on REDD+, human rights (FPIC, and customary land tenure rights, etc.) and multi-actor dialogues were organized by FPP and local partners. These activities benefited directly 165 villages in 8 provinces. The largest number of meetings happened in North-Kivu (57) affecting 5 territories of the province, 15 meetings in South-Kivu, 19 in Mai-Ndombe, 13 in Kasai-Central, 6 in Lomami, 32 in Kongo-Central, 35 in Equateur, and 22 in Ituri province28. During these meeting over 5.000 posters, flyers and/or information sheets on REDD+, FPIC, climate change, etc. were distributed. As a result, more communities are informed on targeted subjects and about their rights, and are capable of successfully engaging REDD+ project developers to protect their rights and claim their shares of benefits. An estimated number of 95,000 peoples were reached with information during Year 1, among which estimated 38.000(40%) are women and 19.000 (20%) are IPs.

28Source: field missions’ reports, communities’ testimonies and local partners’ reports.

During a community-MRV discussion with IP women of the Tshiefu groupment in the Kasai-Central province. FPP. 2016.

• Improvement in finance management capacities of all local partners. During Year 1 finance staffs in all local partners’ offices received trainings on the new accounting system OHADA, as well as Sage Sari, which they are already using. Two training sessions on project and finance management were organized in April 2015 in Kinshasa, and December 2015 in Goma (North-Kivu) for the benefit of project’ local NGO partners. The Goma session, specifically trained local partners in financial and accounting management in the framework of the OHADA29 system. Support to logistical capacities was also provided during Year 1. For instance, some local partners received new motorcycles (3 for Reseau-CREF and 2 for CEDEN), as well as a computer and printer for Reseau-CREF. As a result their institutional and logistical capacities are much more improved.

• The recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations are vulgarized in DRC – rendering available information to decision-makers for proper actions or decisions, especially on women and IPs’ issues. In 2015, FPP successfully supported IP’s organizations and partners in collaboration with the DRC Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in Kinshasa to vulgarize the recommendations of the UPR of the United Nations Human Rights Council concerning the rights of IPs

29OHADA: “Organisationpour l’Harmonisation du Droit des Affaires en Afrique”. (It is a system of business laws and implementing institutions adopted in West and Central African Nations)

28

in DRC. Two workshops were organized in Kinshasa, and a document summarizing the recommendations was developed and shared.

• Targeted communities trained directly by FPP lawyers on human rights. FPP lawyers organized dozen of field missions to local partners and forest communities in North-Kivu, South-Kivu, Equateur, Kongo-Central, and the Kasai-Central provinces to train communities to understand their rights in order to effectively influence the REDD+ and community forestry processes. As a result, trained communities are already successfully engaging in efforts to protect their rights. Furthermore, field missions by FPP lawyers also contributed to developing training material and practical advocacy tool for community facilitators, and explored legal and administrative avenues to help secure communities rights. On 21st March 2016, the Kinshasa-based FPP legal team with lawyers from partner’s organizations assessed the realizations on the ground and discussed the way forward.

• Progress made by communities of the Pinga village in the process of annulation of the “Ministerial Arrêté”, which create the RPKI on their customary lands without their consent. In fact, the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Waters and Forests, signed a Ministerial Arrêté in April 2006, establishing a natural reserve on their traditional lands without their consent. The established natural reserve is referred to as “Reserve des Primates de Kisimba-Ikobo (RPKI)”. The RPKI include customary lands belonging to groupment: Kisimba -Ikobo, Usala, Utunda and Ihana, all forming the community of Pinga. Communities were not consulted in the decision-making process of creating the reserve, and were not aware of their right to FPIC. The implications of a natural reserve and the potential impacts on their livelihoods were not properly explained in the process, and their FPIC was not respect. As of today, communities continue to exercise their user rights on the forest, and are opposing the establishment of the reserve. This opposition led to serious trouble in June 2006. Communities see the April 2006 Arrêté as a threat to their customary land rights and livelihoods, and want to get its cancellation. FPP and Reseau-CREF are supporting communities with various technical and human rights trainings. Per the request of communities, FPP lawyers undertook a trip to North-Kivu (Walikale, Itebero, Goma) from 15 August to 04 September 2015 in collaboration with Reseau-CREF to work with communities of the Pinga village. Meetings were organized in Goma with CSOs and local authorities, petitions and letters sent to the provincial Governor and the national Minister of MENCSD - and as a result substantial progress is made by communities in the process of cancellation of the “Ministerial Arrêté” which create the RPKI.

• Development, validation, and usage of the paralegal guide. This tool of

support to community legal work already being use by communities to monitor cases of human rights violations on the ground. In collaboration with all local partners, FPP and Reseau-CREF drafted a guide for paralegals supporting various communities in North Kivu. A validation workshop was held in Goma (August 31 to Sept. 2015) with a group of 32 paralegals coming from 6 territories in North Kivu. The Walikale Territory Administrator, and representatives of the Provincial Minister in charge of Environment and Tourism attended the workshop. Participants reflected on the challenges regarding the respect of community human rights, opportunities, and the way forward. Major land issues that need special attention from partners and project’ lawyers were also identified. The next steps will include a final review and editing, and printing of the guide for vulgarization across the country.

• Support to the community forestry pilot project of Itebero in Walikale

(North-Kivu). For the past 10 years, Réseau-CREF has been helping communities to develop community forestry pilots in 20 sites in Walikale. These pilots have been undertaken in anticipation of the decree (signed in 2014) establishing community forestry as a legal and significant option for communities in DRC. During the last 5 years, with support from RFN and FPP, Réseau-CREF has helped communities to undertake participatory mapping of rights and uses, socioeconomic studies, to develop management and land use plans, as well as trainings on the targeted sites. However, communities are concerned with the lack of clear delimitation and the increasing extension of the PNKB30, which constitutes ¾ of the targeted land area. Meanwhile the ecological corridor, a project designed by the Jane Goodall Institute and WWF threatens the remaining part of the land. The boundaries of PNKB overlap 3 community forests, including Banisamasi, Basengele and Banasingha. Communities believe that one of the ways of stopping the PNKB extension is to accelerate the process of obtaining community forest concessions through the community forestry law, and during Year 1 this project provided support toward that objective. Technical and financial support through community consultations, participatory mapping, creation of spaces of dialogues with provincial authorities, and composition of necessary documents to file the application to obtain the community forestry concession was provided. During Year 2 follow up activities are planed until the completion of the process.

30PNKB: Kahuzi-Biega National Park

30

IPs traditional celebrating the completions of a participatory mapping work in Bakwa-Ngombe Tshiefu. FPP. 2016.

III.B.2. Supporting Communities of Botwali (Equateur province) in their effort of petitioning the Minister MECNSD on the “DILO Assistance NGO” case: Communities from Botwali village in Bikoro territory in Equateur province are facing an imminent threat of losing part or all their traditional lands following the signature of a Ministerial Arrêté, by the MECNSD31, granting a forest concession to DILO Assistance, a development NGO, on the Botwali community traditional lands without their consultation. Communities have sought to petition the provincial authority in Mbandaka first and then the relevant Minister in Kinshasa in order to cancel or invalidate the concession granted to DILO Assistance. Communities have sought for FPP legal assistance in the process. In collaboration with our local partners CEDEN and RRN, we undertook a field mission to Botwali in early July 2015. Following up to the field visit, FPP and CEDEN facilitated a restitution meeting in Kinshasa with community representatives from Botwali on Saturday 15 August 2015 during which next steps and follow up actions were decided, among which, decision to petition the MENCSD. The petition signed by communities was submitted to the Minister. As a result of our work, DILO Assistance has accepted to work with communities on the basis of a “community forestry concession”. The objective of the communities is to regain control over their lands and manage their own forest using the opportunity available through the community forestry

31MENCSD: Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, and Sustainable Development.

framework. FPP is continuing to closely monitor the case and provide legal and technical assistance to communities during 2016 and beyond. III.C. Expected Results 3 (ER3): (Partially achieved a- and in progress) Community MRV Established:

• Improved definition of community customary territories and links to deforestation drivers and REDD safeguard implementation;

• Clarification and validation of non-carbon benefits of forest conservation (including biodiversity) and "best-practice" models of community based MRV;

• New and sustained investments in forest community development projects (PDES) linked to secure tenure and good forest governance, and stronger community management of their customary forests.

III.C.1. Indicators of achievement and narrative discussion for ER3 During Year 1, the project worked with communities to establish community-based simple means of monitoring and reporting changes in their environments. FPP and NGO partners are supporting communities to establishing MRV systems. This is part of this project’ support to mapping customary lands, which will result in maps and other documents which communities use in support of their claims for improved land tenure security. Furthermore this helps generating information on the drivers of deforestation and the non-carbon benefits of forests. In that objective, the project supported local partners and communities’ representatives to participate in a MRV regional training in Yaoundé/Cameroon in November 2015.

Participants to the Regional MRV training in Yaoundé. FPP. 2015

32

The meeting aimed to develop a common approach to community-based MRV that FPP and our partners can mainstream throughout our ENRTP and Sida-funded work. This included a clear set of criteria and indicators to ensure MRV is addressing local and national information needs. The FPP legal team provided legal advice on data usage and property rights and a combination of legal and anthropological staff worked with partners on issues of participation and FPIC. The meeting also looked in detail at the 'toolbox' of MRV hardware and software used by our partners and initiatives active in this field, including relatively recent developments such as the Sapelli software, the Mapping for Rights and Real-time Forest Monitoring work of RFUK, and the Moabi mapping platform and transparency initiative. Furthermore, the workshop was a practical opportunity for participants to share and compare different combinations of approaches and tools with support from the FPP Mapping Unit, during parallel sessions which allowed for more hands-on technical sharing, covering a range of GPS units and smartphones, editable open data collection forms, off-line versus on-line data hubs, various data aggregation and mapping software, and GIS. The audience for this meeting included technical MRV and non-technical NGO staff from six African countries, community representatives from indigenous peoples and local community organizations and alliances from Cameroon and Kenya, FPP legal and technical staff, and INGOs engaged in mapping and community-based MRV in the region. FPP also took advantage of the meeting to hold a public media day to support our national advocacy in Cameroon and DRC. In many of the same communities involved in MRV activities, we have invested during Year 1 in community development plans and income- generating projects (PDEs) on the basis of their FPIC to help the local and indigenous peoples reduce poverty and improve well being and resilience. The same MRV tools help monitor these community initiatives to ensure good outcomes and accountability.

• Over 60 communities in North-Kivu have benefited, last year, from livestock raising, subsistence farming, and community agro-alimentative cooperative activities with Reseau-CREF.

• A total of 180 genitor goats were distributed to IPs “pilot-households” in

South-Kivu and Ituri provinces to support their livestock raising activities based on their FPIC, accompanied with the support of a veterinary.11 fishponds were developed for community fish farming in Bitale (South-Kivu), and 3 fishponds in Mikonge in Ituri province. Furthermore the project has invested in the establishment of 2-community farming fields of 3 hectares each, held by 120 households in Mambasa (Ituri) and Kalehe (South-Kivu). The support included also the distribution of 600 small farming instruments (machetes, hoes, rakes, etc.) - And the training of 50 IPs to fish farming’ activities. The government service in charge of fish

farming activities (SENAQUA)32 was involved and supported the training. As a result, subsistence farming in the 2 fields have produced 2 tons of beans, 1,5 tons of peanuts, 2 tons of maize, and 12 tons of rice for households consumption and small family trades, which have slightly improve revenues of affected communities and increased the number of daily meals in households.

• In Kongo-Central province, ADEV worked with the SENASEM33 to obtain

the license of “certified seeds” for the seeds produced in the Agro-forestry center of Luma34. Seeds are produced in the center for distribution to targeted communities to support subsistence farming. During Year 1, the Luma center produced 3 tons of seed of maize and manioc during, which were distributed to communities in 45 villages. Furthermore, the center produced 15.600 small plants, which were used for reforestation of 60 hectares of savannas in and around the Biosphere Reserve of Luki.

32 SENAQUA: National Service of Aquaculture 33SENASEM: Service National des Semences/National Service of Seeds 34Luma: An agro-forestry center funded during the previous 3-year project in Kongo-Central with ADEV to produce seeds, support re-planting activities, and providing various trainings to communities on Agro-forestry.

34

Farming activities (seeds production) in the Luma Agro-forestry center. ADEV. 2015.

Small Plants production in Luma for communities tree planting activities - 15,600 small plants (forest species and fruit plants) were produced and planted in savannas in 2015.

A wide variety of small investments’ projects are requested by communities in targeted sites encompassing clean water, livestock raising, palm oil processing and soap making, road clearance and bridge repair, fish farming, community land titling, and improved seeds, as documented in partner narrative reports. We will keep assessing, taking necessary measures with local partners and communities to invest when and where necessary to ensure success in the following years of the project. These small investments projects are meant to help reduce poverty within communities, as well as to serve as working models for community benefit sharing on the basis of community FPIC, and which REDD+ pilots as well as FIP projects can support.

• In the objective of supporting communities’ mapping work, 7 maps of communities’ customary lands were developed and validated this past year: 3 maps were developed in Kongo-Central by the communities of Kiobo, Kilunzi, and Makiobo-Nzazi villages; 2 maps were developed with the support of CAMV (1 map in South- Kivu and 1 in Ituri province), by

communities of Buziralo and Nyangwe respectively; while communities of Botwali, in Equateur, produced 1 map of their customary lands, which they used in the case against DILO Assistance; and the last map was produced by communities of the Tshiefu groupment in Kasai-Central province in the perspective of applying for a community forestry concession.

During participatory mapping work with communities of the Kizulu-Sanzi village in Kongo-Central. ADEV. 2015

Map of customary lands of IPs of Bakwa-Ngombe Tshiefu Community produced in 2015. Kasai-Central. DGPA-FPP. 2015.

36

Map of customary lands of communities of Botwali in Equateur province – produced in 2015. CEDEN-RRN. 2015.The mapping work in being supported across the project sites with the objective to support communities’ local advocacy work for securing customary rights, and

discussing access to or benefits sharing with projects affecting communities’ traditional lands (REDD+ projects, conservation concessions, protected areas, logging concessions, palm oil

concessions, etc.). III.D. Expected Results 4 (ER4): (Started - in progress) Commodity Chains Improved: Increases in the number of palm, carbon, logging, biofuel and other commodity producers implementing strong forest governance safeguards protecting community rights and the environment. III.D.1. Indicators of achievement and narrative discussion for ER4 As described in the approved project logical framework, the 2 indicators to monitor the achievement of this ER4 are: The number of companies joining and complying with responsible commodity organizations, and implementing successfully – and - simple legal briefs for communities explaining obligations of companies towards communities and the benefits to which communities are entitled. During Year 1 the project undertook the work of establishing detailed information about companies located in this project targeted areas, and which activities are affecting project targeted communities.

RRN has started contact with a palm oil company called “Plantation et Huileries du Congo (PHC)”, which belongs to the Canadian Feronia – and which has plantations in Boteka and Yaligimba in Equateur, as well as with Sodefor, a logging company affecting communities of Ikala and Bonkita in Mai-ndombe province. FPP helped in the technical organization and participated in a national workshop funded by Oxfam in Kinshasa aiming to promote green economy and a sustainable exploitation in the palm oil sector in the country. During Year 2, FPP and partners will further contacts – and effectively engage companies, and facilitate direct dialogues between companies and communities. III.E. Expected Results 5 (ER5): (Started - in progress) Dialogue and Learning: Improved availability of information on REDD+ safeguards and implementation methodologies relevant to existing national processes of REDD+ implementation - Legal and policy reforms supporting upward harmonization of REDD+ safeguards and potential VPA reforms within DRC, and to share across West and Central Africa. III.E.1. Indicators of achievement and narrative discussion for ER5 Creating political spaces of discussions, as well as improving availability of needed information to promote communities’ rights remained central to the project work throughout Year 1. Activities implemented toward this objective produced the following results:

1. Publication of a pioneering report on the impacts of deforestation on the rights of forest communities in DRC. This research compile up-to-date information on the direct and indirect drivers of deforestation in the country and document related human rights abuses and social impacts on indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities. It gives strong recommendations on the ways out – it is as a tool for decision-makers.

2. The project has technically prepared representatives of local partners and local and indigenous communities to successfully participate to the Climate Change COP 21 conference in Paris, France in December 2015. Project local partners won two majors international prizes last year:

• Reseau-CREF, the project local partner in North-Kivu, was awarded the

Alex Soros Foundation award in 2015 for extraordinary achievement in environmental and human rights activism in raising awareness about environmental injustices in communities. This award is more about the work around the Virunga National Park - in which our last 3-year Sida-funded project (2011-2014) contributed enormously with awareness raising on environmental, forests, REDD+, climate change, and human

38

rights issues. The award was a prize of 50.000 USD to contribute to Reseau-CREF's work. During the same year, 2015, Reseau-CREF also won the Moabi award for community mapping work, which work was carried out under our previous 3-year Sida grant. This was a prize of 500 USD to contribute to Reseau -CREF's mapping work.

• DGPA, the project local partner in Kasai-Central and Lomami provinces won the Equator Prize, which was awarded during the COP 21 climate conference in Paris in December 2015.

3. Declared official engagement of the DRC national government to re-launch the land reform process. FPP organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Affairs, a workshop on the status of the land reform process in March 2016. The workshop shared information about the land reform process, and compliance with international human rights standards within the DRC legal and regulatory framework. The 3-day seminar was attended by 95 participants including parliamentarians (members of the National Assembly), representatives of Ministry of Land Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Human rights, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Land Use planning and Urbanism, Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Gender. There were also representatives of the private sector, CSOs, local and indigenous communities, as well as representatives of some institutions of research and universities, and international actors including the United Nations Mission in DRC (MONUSCO), UN Habitat, WRI, WWF, etc. The Minister of land affairs gave the opening remark. One of the main objectives of the meeting was to create a political space of dialogue for indigenous representatives and CSO to voice their concerns regarding the land reform process. Strong recommendations were formulated, including: the recognition and secure customary ownership of lands for communities, the adoption of the draft law on indigenous peoples (Parliament), the re-start of the FLEGT-VPA negotiations between the DRC Government and the EU Delegation interrupted since 2013 (Government), as well as the strengthening of communities’ capacities through training materials, simplified guides and tools.

Participants to the Land Reform Process Workshop in Kinshasa, March 24-15, 2016.FPP,

2016.

4. Through RRN the project attended the workshop of validation of the guide

of negotiation and implementation of the FLEGT-VPA35 in Central Africa.

IV. Using Regional and International Human Rights Mechanisms From 13 to 15 July 2015, FPP attended a sub-regional consultation on extractive industries, environment and human rights for Central Africa, in Lubumbashi, DRC. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights hosted this event in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) at the University of Pretoria. This consultation is one of 4 sub-regional consultation organized by the ACHPR Working Group in West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa. The consultation brings together different stakeholders to enable open dialogue about the challenges encountered in the context of extractive activities, as well as solutions and best practices and a way forward. The consultation raised interesting discussions around extractives industries in Central Africa and FPP did a presentation on the land tenure regime in DRC and its impact on the rights of indigenous and local communities. It’s also worth noting that FPP is currently collaborating with the ACHPR Working Group on Extractive industries to draft an FPIC Guidelines. The ACHPR FPIC Guidelines have the potential to be a strong tool for drawing from international human rights standards, to ensure compliance of national laws with international human rights law.

35FLEGT-VPA: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreements.

40

V. Media Coverage FPP is in the process of developing a media strategy document to serve as the blueprint for the project’s teams to adopt effective strategies for communicating with all stakeholders. The purpose of the strategy is to support the realization of the project mission. FPP, and local partners have mandate and oversight on overall communication strategy for local, national, regional and international communications activities. FPP and its partners spearhead the implementation of effective coordination of communications activities. This includes the coordination, generation and dissemination of information to all stakeholders in order to create understanding and support for project aims, objectives, policies and actions. It also involves strategic management of funder visibility. The DRC media is increasingly vibrant and diverse. The revolution in the information landscape in DRC merits careful thinking in the way the project communicates with communities, national and international media and facilitates communication for specialist audiences such as policy makers and private sector actors. The radio and television remain the most widely available medium for reaching the majority of citizens in the country. Despite not being an area of significant growth, print media remains an important vehicle for disseminating information, especially in urban areas, at strategic events, international fora, and for direct distribution to policy audiences. During Year 1, FPP held 16 media broadcasting events on national radios and televisions (RTNC1, RTNC2, Radio Okapi, Digital Congo, Tele 50, Radio 50, RTGA, B-One TV, etc.) in Kinshasa. Broadcasted messages are crafted carefully in order to be clear, and present a unified picture of the project and what it stands for. Themes and messages are based upon, but not limited to: forest governance, REDD+, climate change, improving community livelihoods; human rights and rights-based solutions; participatory processes; land rights; community based solutions; dialogue; REDD+ safeguards; FPIC; monitoring of rights, etc. In South-Kivu, Ituri, and part of the North-Kivu province FPP through CAMV hosted a show twice a week with Radio Graben in Beni to talk about the project, and promote the rights of IPs and local communities. This radio covers the province of North-Kivu, as well as large parts of South-Kivu and Ituri provinces.

Conclusion Overall the project Year 1 was productive and delivered in line with expectations despite the short delay recorded at the beginning of the year. Project activities were carried out in line with the project logical framework. Around 205 communities from 13 REDD+ pilot areas, 2 FIP supply basins zones and the Mai-Ndombe ER-P benefited from the project with information, human rights and participatory mapping, as well as direct investment in small economic development activities at the community level. Community participation to project activities is planned and expected to deepen during the years to come as they are all becoming much more informed about their rights, climate change and the DRC’s national REDD+ program. Particular focus on gender will receive sharpened attention as the project expects to develop a detailed gender strategy to support implementation on the ground, and increase women capacities. Starting Year 2, the project will also deepen and expand community human rights trainings, MRV activities, and investments in PDEs – as well as increase the momentum to the completion of the FPIC work with the CN-REDD. The remaining project years are critical as several investments by the DRC REDD+ and FIP programs start delivering activities in communities’ areas around the country. Targeted communities by this project across the country are growing stronger to protect their rights and to negotiate effectively to secure benefits from new forest investment programs.