The context of REDD+ in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Drivers, agents and institutions, 2nd edition

Abstract

The overall aim of this global study is to provide decision-makers, practitioners, donors and the scientific community with reliable information on the dynamics of national actions related to the REDD+ mechanism. Discussions on REDD originally seemed to focus on the construction of a global structure and the establishment of a multilateral instrument to replace the Kyoto Protocol. But at the 14th Conference of Parties (CoP 14), held in Poznan in 2008, discussions on the reliability of REDD+ focused more on the dynamics of national- and local-level actions and brought out the need to better understand, analyse and explain the domestic institutional context in which REDD+ is being developed. The Global Comparative Study was first launched by CIFOR and its national partners in the following eight tropical countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Cameroon, Indonesia, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania and Vietnam and then expanded to include DRC, the country studied in this paper. This review has been constructed using extractive approaches. The first inputs were reports, articles, books and documents on the DRC directly related to forest management, socio-economic and political institutions, etc., whether published or not. Because of the diversity of sources, the quantitative data sometimes seem contradictory and conflictual. In the next step, semi-structured interviews were held with experts working in the forestry sector and data were obtained from the participants' observations. More generally, this review shows that although DRC has a tropical forestry potential second only to Brazil, and thus could contribute to global efforts to mitigate the negative effects attributed to climate change, and has already made halting progress in installing the REDD+ mechanism nationally (R-PP approved, FIP available, creation of national coordination and thematic working groups, etc.) the REDD+ profile for DRC is marred by several structural shortcomings and flaws in the country's public institutions, e.g., poor governance, almost total lack of public authority in certain regions, insufficient national capacity to launch sectoral policy reforms that fulfil REDD+ requirements, and shortage of autonomous financial, material and human resources. Like the international donor community, this review also sees DRC as a 'fragile state'. The many structural shortcomings can be traced to the malfunctioning that bogs down the contemporary institutions and the tarnished origins of the Congolese state. Further, the reappearance of armed rebels at the border with Rwanda does not facilitate the introduction of REDD+. The existence of the rebel front contributes to socio-political instability that may strengthen a political regime that lacks democratic legitimacy in the eyes of the frustrated and deeply wounded Congolese people. Because of the chronic instability and the socio-political uncertainty, it would be difficult, almost impossible, to implement REDD+ or the 3E criteria (effectiveness, efficiency and equity) in the country. Some of the parties involved may consider this initial interpretation as abrupt and premature, but it confirms the analysis made by Trefon (2009) that the main major initiatives and other projects carried out as part of the rehabilitation of the country ended in relative failure. Responsibility for these ambiguous results can be traced to international cooperation organisations and to the Congolese authorities. Since REDD+ was designed as a new instrument of forestry governance (connected to climate change issues) that could attract funding and was promoted by the international community, it should be able to stimulate sectoral policy reforms especially with a view to advancing more coherent, open management of land tenure, forests, mines and territorial development. The international partners and the national players should implement the pre-conditions: ensure public order and the authority of a legally established State, and social peace based on a socio-political situation that reflects the principles of constitutional democracy.