The REDD+ Secretariat, in collaboration with its private sector partners, has supported three community members to attend the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The conference was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 30th November to 12th December 2023. The Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP), which was the first among other programmes to be launched under Ghana's REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Strategy has been in implementation since 2019 to reduce deforestation and forest degradation from Ghana's cocoa landscapes. The Programme run by the REDD+ Secretariat seeks to incentivize local communities to participate in efforts to reduce deforestation, protect biodiversity, and contribute to sustainable development. The three members, who were selected from the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program Area, are Mr. Daniel Amponsah Gyinayeh, Chairman of the Asunafo-Asutifi Hotspo t Intervention Area Board, Mr. Augustine Darbo, Chairman of the Ahafo-Ano Hotspot Intervention Area Board and Madam Grace Asare, Kakum Hotspot Intervention Area Member, all cocoa farmers. The three alongside indigenous people and local communities' representatives from Ecuador and Kenya participated in a side event organized by the Forestry Commission on, 'strengthening inclusion in REDD+ results-based payments.' The event was hinged on the fact that REDD + implementation would not be possible without the full inclusion of local communities and marginalized groups, especially women and the youth. In his opening remarks at the event, the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey mentioned that to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, 'It is very important that forest-fringe communities are encouraged to prevent further deforestation and degradation, whilst they adopt sustainable land use practices.' To this end, he said, the Community R esource Management Area (CREMA), a community-driven mechanism was endorsed by the government and adopted as one of the ways to natural resource management. He noted that women's inclusivity is very high in the implementation of the REDD+ mechanism as 40 per cent of women had been engaged in all landscape programmes. He cited the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reductions Project, another programme in Ghana's REDD+ Strategy, which has employed about 95 per cent of women in nursery establishments and greatly improved their living conditions as well as delivered a sense of inclusion and belonging. Mr Daniel Amponsah Gyinayeh made a presentation on 'The Fund Flow Mechanism and Inclusion of Local Communities' which is an integral part of a highly consultative, fair and transparent Benefit Sharing Plan. Among other things, he touched on beneficiary performance indicators, as well as benefits the communities and farmer groups have received under the GCFRP. That, he said, had motivated local communities and farme rs to take up tree planting and nurturing seriously because their efforts were being rewarded. He stated that the GCFRP, which generated results-based payments of which 69%, had been given to cocoa farmers led to the adoption of climate-smart cocoa farming practices, including planting and management of shade trees on farmlands. Farmers are, therefore, steadily avoiding encroachment into forested areas for farming activities and illegalities, whilst at the same time, nurturing and tending trees. Under the GCFRP benefit sharing, farmers have received inputs like knapsack sprayers, wellington boots, machetes, mist blowers, pruners, and tree seedlings, among others to help in their farming activities. During the moderated community panel discussions, Madam Grace Asare narrated the impressions of excitement on the faces of the farmers when they received these farm inputs under the GCFRP in Kakum HIA. She said it was a novelty to receive benefits under a results-based programme, a scenario they never believed could happen until the benefits came in. 'Buying farm inputs like machetes and sprayers is difficult for most poor farmers and the GCFRP inputs from the REDD+ has liberated such farmers to work hard and also adopt climate-smart practices for their farms.' She was also full of praise for the additional/alternative livelihood support that had provided benefits to cushion farmers to get extra income, especially during the lean cocoa production season. Participants from Ecuador and Kenya also applauded Ghana for the inclusion of local communities in the REDD+ programme and indicated that it was a good example for other countries to follow, as governments did not involve indigenous people and local communities. However, these indigenous people and local communities want to be part of the design and implementation of REDD+ programmes and not just be mere beneficiaries. Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, said, 'The potential of the country to produce high integrity emissio ns whilst enhancing the adaptation of forest fringe communities is the basic drive for us to do and seek more.' He said Ghana had been granted USD4 Million to maximise capacity building of local communities and other disadvantaged groups, particularly women and the youth to ensure their inclusion in results-based climate finance programmes such as the GCFRP with assistance from civil society organisations under the Enhancing Access to Benefits by Lowering Emissions (EnABLE) grant provided by the World Bank. The Deputy Minister emphasised the importance of communities to the REDD+ process by referring to forest-fringed communities as the linchpin of success in the programme. He, therefore, called for increased climate finance to support sustainable projects, drive innovation and fortify vulnerable communities. The three community members described their participation in COP 28 as an eye-opener and a big learning platform for them. They used that opportunity to call on farmers, forest fringe communities an d the youth to embrace the REDD+ Mechanism and other tree planting programmes in their area as it comes with many benefits to individuals and communities. They added their voices to call for more climate financing to help push the climate mitigation agenda forward. Source: Ghana News Agency