Background
To demonstrate its commitment to supporting the national REDD+ policy, the Riau Provincial Government took the initiative to hold an event aimed at improving stakeholders' understanding of safeguards and REDD+. The event, facilitated by the Riau Safeguards Expert Team, UNEP, UNEP-WCMC, and PILI, took place from May 6-8, 2024, at the Pangeran Hotel, Pekanbaru. The event involved all cross-sector stakeholder representatives who attended the first event, with a total of 71 participants, 11% of whom were women.
The event combined discussions, games, and quizzes, aimed not only to increase participants' knowledge of safeguards but also to ensure that representatives from different institutions could get to know each other and strengthen intersectoral collaboration.
Identifying Data Needs
During the time between the initial data collection efforts and the workshop, the Riau Safeguards Expert Team and UNEP-WCMC simultaneously conducted an identification of supporting data needs and a gap analysis. Identification of supporting data needs was conducted to ensure that the supporting data to be collected aligns with the APPS requirements. Meanwhile, the gap analysis also considered options that could improve the scope and clarity of the PCI, as well as the ease of implementation of the current APPS.
Key Findings
Based on discussions during the workshop held on May 6-8, 2024, several key findings were identified regarding stakeholders' efforts in Riau to collect data supporting safeguards, including:
The formation of a cross-sectoral working group relevant to SISREDD+ needs to be prioritized due to factors such as:
The need for instruments to support the collection of data supporting safeguards, including assignment letters and the division of roles for each party;
The persistence of sectoral barriers that require the authorization of the working group to ensure data sharing by each stakeholder; and
The need for operational standards for data management, including for sensitive data from several stakeholders, including through the appointment of PDIS (Indonesian Data Information System).
One potential obstacle to collecting data supporting safeguards is the existence of stakeholders, particularly from the private sector, who have strict, information technology-based data sharing systems. Policies and Next Steps The above findings formed the basis for several policies, including Riau Governor's Decree No. Kpts.3084/VI/2024, which aims to ensure the involvement of various cross-sectoral stakeholders in safeguards compliance. Effective institutional arrangements are expected to accelerate efforts to ensure safeguards support data compliance, which is the next step for Riau Province.
To ensure this, Riau Province appointed individuals from across sectors to form the Safeguards Data Collection Technical Team. This team consists of 21 individuals tasked specifically with collecting safeguards data. These individuals were selected based on observations during a workshop held on May 6-8, 2024, taking into account their potential and capabilities. The limited number of members was chosen to ensure effectiveness in the data collection process.