Tools for Building Political Success in Forest Protection

1. Tools for Building Political Success in Forest Protection United Nations Development Programme

2. UNDP Focus • On the ground in 166 countries – neutrality • Millennium Development Goals, + overarching goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. • Helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of: • Democratic Governance • Poverty Reduction • Crisis Prevention and Recovery • Environment and Energy • HIV/AIDS • Human rights and the empowerment of women in all activities.

3. 52 UNDP Parliamentary Development projects (2009) Europe and CIS: 8 projects Arab Region: 7 projects Latin America and the Caribbean : 3 projects Asia-Pacific: 13 projects Africa: 21 projects

4. Parliamentary Development • Legislative role • Representative role • Parliament-Government relations and oversight • Parliamentary Administration

5. Advocacy Programme design, implementation and evaluation Knowledge products (Manuals, web-based information, practice notes) Capacity development and regional working groups Partnerships (e-parliament, APF, CPA, SADC PF, IPU, NDI, IDEA, EC, WBI, French National Assembly and Senate…) Monitoring Trends (global and regional innovations in parliamentary development) Sharing experiences and best practices Methodology

6. UNDP – Global Environment Facility • Global Environment Facility (GEF) – 8.74 billion USD categories: biological diversity, climate change, international waters and ozone depletion (+ new areas: land degradation and persistent organic pollutant) • Small Grant Programme (NGOs) • + co-funded project – Institutionalizing Payment for Ecosystems Services and supporting pilot PES globally and building up regional capacity for policy makers. •  The latest generation of UNDP GEF projects are being designed to support PES in various countries, such as Argentina – Colombia – China (including product and service pricing, market transactions, and producer capacity to engage in the PES schemes).

7. MPs are the intermediary between government action and citizen’s demands Strategy - Action Plan – Actors - Resources How – use parliamentary tools: Legislation (Laws, Regulation, Policies) Oversight (QP, Committee hearings) Representation (Creating demand / Building support) Partners: Political parties, like-minded MPs, media, civil society, citizens, NGOs, academics. Tools for Parliamentarians to Deliver Change on Forest Protection

8. Legislation • Sources • Government drafts legislation • Parliamentary Committees • Individual MPs 2) Amendment or new Forestry Law & Regulation? 3) Comparative experience - FAOLEX

9. Oversight • Question period • Committee work • Petitions and resolutions • Debates

10. Question period • Use personal stories • Be persistent • Push for media coverage Committee Work • Ask relevant questions when draft law is before the committee • Seek committee hearings / consultations • Push for media coverage

11. Petitions/ Res. • Use petitions to draw attention to citizen support • Have the petition committee review it • Have resolutions debated on opposition days or adjournment debates Debates • Find an angle to raise your initiative • Be persistent

12. Building Support – Creating Demand • MP must build support for the legislative initiative: • Political party • Other MPS / Cross-party Forest Groups • Citizens • Interested Groups • Government – State Forestry Department • Universities How: Meetings with citizens, Constituency work, internet & e-mails, communication

13. Action Plan + Best tools + Consultation Engage citizens and CSOs Use media to get the message disseminated Seek support from party and fellow MPs Use parliamentary Tools (draft laws, QP, committees) to your advantage Knowledge: FAOLEX, other experiences + networking BUILD SUPPORT FOR AN INITIATIVE:

14. THANK YOU