On 15 November a team of two consultants and 8 newly trained gender experts presented the findings of a gender study in forest-based communities to governmental, private sector and non-governmental stakeholders and researchers in Samarinda.

Key findings from the study include: (1) Gender mainstreaming in the forestry sector is still perceived as “women issues”; (2) Laws and guidelines concerning gender mainstreaming exist on paper, however, are yet to be implemented; (3) Indicators for gender empowerment are of inferior quality compared to the indicators of the Human Development Index in East-Kalimantan; (4) Lack of coordination among sectors for cross-cutting issues.

The Indonesian-German Forests and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME) has conducted a study on gender issues in the forestry sector in general and how to integrate gender issues into the activities of FORCLIME, particularly in its implementation of field activities in East and West Kalimantan. The study is also expected to provide input into the gender activities of GTZ in Indonesia. The study will result in a gender concept for FORCLIME which is aligned with GTZ’s overall gender strategy, the Indonesian country gender policies and will contribute to the achievement of FORCLIME’s overall objectives and results.

As part of this study a training course on gender issues and participatory appraisal methods has been conducted and the new skills gained have been applied in a rapid appraisal of gender-specific roles and needs in a forest based community in Kapuas Hulu.

The final report is expected by mid-December.

Created: 23 November 2010

Jakarta – Tarakan, 18 – 22 October 2010

A dialogue on sustainable forest management in Indonesia was organized by the Forests and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME) for a Vietnamese Delegation consisting of government forestry officials, private sector representatives and GTZ Vietnam Forestry Programme staff.  Part of the programme was a two-day field visit to a FSC-certified forest concession in Tarakan, East Kalimantan. The study tour focussed  especially on environmental safeguards in applying sustainable forest management, and applying reduced impact logging with a potential of enhancing carbon stocks. The progamme was carried out from 18 to 22 October 2010.

Objectives of the dialogue on SFM included learning and exchanging experience on: SFM at policy making and implementation levels; national certification development; process of obtaining forest management certification; process of developing the Indonesian timber legality assurance system; process and progress on FLEGT-VPA negotiation with the European Union. Additionally, the objective of the dialogue and the study tour was to establish cooperation between the Forestry Directorate and Dak To Forest Company and their representative Indonesian partners.

Key outcome of the dialogue and study tour will be a road map to develop learning exchange network among South East Asian countries on sustainable forest management and related issues including certification and REDD+ implementation.

The organization of the dialogue and study tour was supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, in close collaboration with the GTZ FORCLIME and the Indonesian Eco-labelling Institute (LEI).

Created: 26 October 2010

The U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre assists donor practitioners in more effectively addressing corruption challenges through their professional support. U4 serves development agencies, one of them being GTZ (Germany), by providing resources and services.

Through an extensive online resource centre, U4 guides users to relevant anti-corruption resources, including own applied research (Themes). The work is communicated through a searchable database of projects and initiatives. Furthermore a Help Desk service is offered and online as well as in-country training on anti-corruption measures and strategies for partner agencies and their counterparts are provided for U4 partner agencies.

In their latest newsletter (http://www.u4.no/news/newsletter/), the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre presents three Expert Answers from the U4 Helpdesk on questions regarding REDD related corruption in Indonesia.

• Technical assistance in the field of integrity of carbon reduction incentives mechanisms

Experience with incentive based interventions indicates that governance issues are critical to the success of such approaches in terms of reducing carbon emissions. But these mechanisms face major corruption challenges.

http://www.u4.no/news/?116=technical-assistance-in-the-field-of-integrity-of

• Corruption, auditing and carbon emission reduction schemes

The success of climate mitigation strategies will in part depend on addressing governance challenges. There are major corruption risks associated with carbon emissions reduction schemes such as REDD.

http://www.u4.no/news/?109=anti-corruption-and-police-reform

• Corruption training for judges applied to emission reduction mechanisms

Climate mitigation strategies have created a need for technical capacity development at national and sub-national levels. There is a consensus among experts that the strategies will not succeed unless the governance and corruption challenges they pose are effectively addressed.

http://www.u4.no/news/?115=corruption-training-for-judges-applied-to-emission

The Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin is responsible for the U4 Help Desk and a great variety from academic institutions, NGOs, consultancies and international organizations give regularly inputs to U4 Expert Answers.

The U4 Resource Centre is operated by the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Bergen, Norway - a private social science research foundation working on issues of development and human rights.

For more Information see: http://www.u4.no

Created: 22 September 2010