The document summarizes a presentation about representation of vulnerable local people in REDD+ projects. It discusses a UN-REDD pilot project in Nigeria that did not adequately represent local interests. The project involved non-elected groups but excluded local government officials. This raises issues about what type of democracy the program promotes and whether it prioritizes participation over political representation. Without changes to better ensure local people's democratic participation, they risk losing forest access and compensation under REDD+.

1. Representation in REDD: Who Speaks for Vulnerable Local People?
IUCN Brown Bag Lunchtime Seminar Presentation
Red List Room B, IUCN Headquarters, Rue Mauverney 28 1196, Gland, Switzerland, 28 May, 2015
Emmanuel Nuesiri
Marie-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
Citation
Nuesiri, E. O. (2015). Representation in REDD: Who Speaks for Vulnerable Local People? [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
https://illinois.academia.edu/EmmanuelNuesiri

2. Case study: UN-REDD pilot project in Cross River State Nigeria

3. Vulnerability of forest dependent people in Cross River State (1)
Financial contribution of forest to livelihood in Cross River State
Picture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState,Nigeria

4. Population
group
Poverty level without
forest income (%)
Poverty level with
forest income (%)
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
Picture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState

5. 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

6. 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 principlesPicture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState

7. 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
Picture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState

8. Credit: CrossRiverWatch http://crossriverwatch.com/2015/03/governor-imoke-votes-laments-failure-of-card-readers/
What is democracy?Picture:GovernorLiyelImokeofCrossRiverStatevotingduringthe2015presidentialelectionsinNigeria
Democracy, which derives from the Greek word “demos,”
or “people,” is defined, basically, as government in which
the supreme power is vested in the people.
In some forms, democracy can be exercised
[operationalized] directly by the people; in large
societies, it is by the people [operationalized] through
their elected agents [representative democracy].
Or, in the memorable phrase of President Abraham
Lincoln, democracy is government “of the people, by the
people, and for the people.”
Source: Cincotta H., 2007. Democracy in Brief. Published by the US Department of State, pp. 1-2
http://www.ait.org.tw/en/201001-democracyinbrief.pdf

9. 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 individuals
Essential 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
Complementary
Political representation should ensure proactive and responsive presence in decision making…

10. 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 through
freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his
country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will
shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal
suffrage 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 distinctions
mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: 1. To take part in the conduct of
public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives; 2. to vote and to be elected at
genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by
secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors; 3. To have access, on
general 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

11. 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)
Picture:Swearing-inoflocalgovernmentchairpersonsin2013bytheGovernorofCrossRiverState
Credit: http://thewillnigeria.com/news/imoke-swears-in-local-government-chairmen-charges-them-on-transparent-leadership/

12. Institutional map of Nigeria-REDD: Who represents local interests?
Plenty of opportunities for elite capture in the proposed institutional structure for Nigeria-REDD…
Picture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState

13. 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

14. 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’.
YorkUniversity,CanadaHKS,HarvardUniversity
Defining symbolic politicsPicture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState

15. Where is the UN-REDD on the symbolic politics continuum
Source: Bluhdorn (2007)
Picture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState
UN-REDD

16. Conclusion
Without a change in
the way local
people’s democratic
participation in
REDD+ is framed and
operationalized,
they will lose both
access to, and
compensation for
their loss of access,
to public forest!
Picture:VisittoIkoEsaivillage,CrossRiverState