Institutional Mechanisms for REDD+ - Case Studies Working Paper

agreements with logging companies is expected to yield enough lessons before the REDD+ National Strategy
is adopted (by 2013), allowing the DRC government to take these lessons learned into account.
2.5 LESSONS LEARNED, CONCLUSIONS, AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Although the two benefit-sharing mechanisms presented above are based on drastically different models, they
also share common characteristics reflecting the legal and institutional background in the DRC and provide
an interesting contrast of options to consider for REDD+.
2.5.1 LESSONS LEARNED FROM IBI-BATÉKÉ AND SOCIAL AGREEMENTS IN THE
FORESTRY SECTOR: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REDD+
BENEFIT-SHARING
Land tenure and access to benefits:
Community access to benefits in the case of the Ibi-Batéké program does not stem from any legal or
customary land claim. Rather, the land belongs to the project founder and his private company. All benefits
flowing to local communities result from negotiations with traditional authorities–the way private firms in the
mining and oil sectors negotiate to secure their cooperation, or merely to avoid tensions that would
undermine operations.
Financial support to the project by the World Bank required NOVACEL to meet the Bank‘s social
safeguards, 82 which include the obligation to formally secure local populations‘ support for the project (not
their consent) and to demonstrate that the project will have neutral or positive social impacts.
In this context, local communities have very limited levers with which to negotiate what benefits they will get,
how much they will get and under what form since they are not entitled to benefit. Project managers decide
unilaterally what to negotiate and how, and they have the law (and police forces) on their side.
In the case of social agreements signed with logging companies, customary claims over forests within a
concession create a right to access benefits. Concession holders cannot obtain a logging authorization from
the administration without the explicit consent of local communities. The law provides further protection to
local communities by imposing a model of social agreements that is particularly detailed and by creating
institutions where local community representatives are systematically a majority. Finally, the government‘s
program to support local communities in these negotiations is expected to help balance unequal access to
information and to strengthen their bargaining power.
Effectiveness in delivering benefits to local communities:
The Ibi-Batéké project has effectively delivered community infrastructure and services to local populations
through its partner NGO, an achievement that greatly contributes to the positive perceptions of this project
held by those we interviewed. Benefit delivery is entirely managed by professional project staff, which has the
advantage of avoiding the lengthy compromises and inefficiencies common to community-based
organizations–an argument frequently mentioned by supporters of Ibi-Batéké.
With carbon sales revenues expected in the upcoming years to add to benefits already provided, the local
traditional chiefs seem to be content with the types of services delivered. Indeed, the project contrasts with
the State‘s inability to provide basic public infrastructure, such as roads, wells, schools, and clinics.
82 World Bank social and environmental safeguards:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/PROJECTS/EXTPOLICIES/EXTOPMANUAL/0,,contentMDK:20403235~menuPK:45
64185~pagePK:64709096~piPK:64709108~theSitePK:502184,00.html.
PRRGP INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR REDD: CASE STUDIES – WORKING PAPER 39