Representation in REDD: Who Speaks for Vulnerable Local People?
IUCN Brown Bag Lunchtime Seminar PresentationRed List Room B, IUCN Headquarters, Rue Mauverney 28 1196, Gland, Switzerland, 28 May, 2015
Emmanuel NuesiriMarie-Curie BRAIN Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Potsdam, Germany
and Visiting Researcher Social Dimensions of Environmental Policy (SDEP) University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Brandenburg Research Academy and International Network (BRAIN)
Social Dimensions of Environmental Policy (SDEP)University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
CitationNuesiri, E. O. (2015). Representation in REDD: Who Speaks for Vulnerable Local People? [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://illinois.academia.edu/EmmanuelNuesiri
Vulnerability of forest dependent people in Cross River State (1)
Financial contribution of forest to livelihood in Cross River State
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Population
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Poverty level without
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Poverty level with
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Headcount Poverty gap Headcount Poverty gap
Akamkpa LGA 80 62 76 48
All Forested
LGAs (9 of 18)
77 64 69 43
Male 88 74 77 51
Female 79 51 62 44
Vulnerability of forest dependent people in Cross River State (2)
If access to the forest is denied, it would impact on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of forest dependent people in Cross River State
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Who wants to deny local people’s access to the forest?
Set up in 2008 by the UN with major funding from Government of Norway
Acknowledges livelihood threat from REDD+ projects including loss of access to the forest
Adopts 7 voluntary principles addressing the social and environmental impacts of REDD+
Nigeria received US$4 million for its national programme in 2012
Principle 1 – Apply norms of democratic governance, as reflected in national commitments and Multilateral Agreements
Principle 2 – Respect and protect stakeholder rights in accordance with international obligations
Principle 3 – Promote sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction
Principle 4 – Contribute to low-carbon, climate-resilient sustainable development policy, consistent with national development strategies, national forest programmes, and commitments under international conventions and agreements
Principle 5 – Protect natural forest from degradation and/or conversion
Principle 6 – Maintain and enhance multiple functions of forest including conservation of biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services
Principle 7 – Avoid or minimise adverse impacts on non-forest ecosystem services and biodiversity
Source: UN-REDD Programme Social and Environmental Principles and Criteria (2012)
The super 7 principles P
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Principle 1 – Apply norms of democratic governance, as reflected in national commitments and Multilateral Agreements
Source: UN-REDD Programme Social and Environmental Principles and Criteria (2012)
Democracy as social safeguard
Criterion 1 – Ensure the transparency and accountability of fiduciary and fund management systems linked to REDD+ activities
Criterion 2 – Ensure legitimacy and accountability of all bodies representing relevant stakeholders, including through establishing responsive feedback and grievance mechanisms
Criterion 3 – Ensure transparency and accessibility of information related to REDD+, including active dissemination among relevant stakeholders
Criterion 4 – Ensure the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders in design, planning and implementation of REDD+ activities, with particular attention to indigenous peoples, local communities and other vulnerable and marginalized groups
Criterion 5 – Promote coordination, efficiency and effectiveness among all agencies and implementing bodies relevant to REDD+
Criterion 6 – Promote and support the rule of law, access to justice and effective remedies
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Credit: CrossRiverWatch http://crossriverwatch.com/2015/03/governor-imoke-votes-laments-failure-of-card-readers/
What is democracy?P
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Democracy, which derives from the Greek word “demos,”or “people,” is defined, basically, as government in whichthe supreme power is vested in the people.
In some forms, democracy can be exercised[operationalized] directly by the people; in largesocieties, it is by the people [operationalized] throughtheir elected agents [representative democracy].
Or, in the memorable phrase of President AbrahamLincoln, democracy is government “of the people, by thepeople, and for the people.”
Source: Cincotta H., 2007. Democracy in Brief. Published by the US Department of State, pp. 1-2http://www.ait.org.tw/en/201001-democracyinbrief.pdf
Operationalizing representative democracy – forms of political representation
Descriptive –persons ‘typical’ of group they
are standing for (farmers standing in for farmers)
Symbolic –unelected aspirational persons
or institutions standing for a constituency
Substantive –elected persons acting for,
responsive and accountable to, a constituency
Influential individualsEssential for groups that have
experienced historical marginalization
Customary authority/CSOs/NGOs
High visibility and access to political leaders makes these
excellent for advocacy
Mayors/parliamentarians/
legislators
Statutory powers make these important allies for the fair
distribution of resources
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Political representation should ensure proactive and responsive presence in decision making…
Political representation is a human and political right
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) article 21: (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or throughfreely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in hiscountry. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this willshall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equalsuffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) article 25: Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctionsmentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: 1. To take part in the conduct ofpublic affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives; 2. to vote and to be elected atgenuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held bysecret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors; 3. To have access, ongeneral terms of equality, to public service in his country.
The Human Right To Political Participation By Fabienne Peter Journal of Ethics & Social Philosophy Vol. 7, No. 2 | February 2013, p. 10
Representation during the design of Nigeria-REDD
Actors involved in the participatory consultative design process of Nigeria-REDD
• Elected Federal Government: National policy• Elected State Government: Land tenure• Non-elected NGOs: Local interests• Non-elected Chiefs: Local interests
Elected local government officials were excluded
Why me?
© EL GRECO/SHUTTERSTOCK)
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Credit: http://thewillnigeria.com/news/imoke-swears-in-local-government-chairmen-charges-them-on-transparent-leadership/
Institutional map of Nigeria-REDD: Who represents local interests?
Plenty of opportunities for elite capture in the proposed institutional structure for Nigeria-REDD…
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What accounts for UN-REDD blindside
Lack of clarity on the type of democracy it is promoting – direct or representative?
Conflates participation and political representation
A hands off approach to organizing the participatory consultations in Nigeria, leaving it to government authorities and accepting of results even when flawed – the sovereignty conundrum
Weak framing of democracy principle
+Concern for the interests of higher level government over local government
= Symbolic Politics
Dirk Matten (2003) – symbolic politics is used by policy makers when designing environmental regulations; they wish to be seen to be responsive to public concerns about the environment but do not wish to hurt powerful interest groups; they pronounce policies that do not get codified into law; or roll out strong regulations with weak enforcement mechanisms; or enact policies and laws that simply legitimize practices already adopted by industry.
Robert N. Stavins (1998) – symbolic politics works with respect to environmental regulations because ‘voters have limited information, and so respond to gestures, while remaining relatively unaware of details’.
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Defining symbolic politics P
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Where is the UN-REDD on the symbolic politics continuum
Source: Bluhdorn (2007)
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UN-REDD