A DELRGATION from the French National Forest Office (ONF) is visiting Guyana to prepare for the official launching of the Regional Platform for the development of a REDD+ progamme across the Guiana Shield.

The delegation, comprising Mr. Jason Cassata, Attaché of Cooperation at the French Embassy; Mr. Nicolas Karr, Director Regional Office in French Guiana; and Mr. Boris Romaguer, Project Leader on the REDD+ Guiana Shield Programme met Wednesday with Adviser to the President and Head, Office of Climate Change, Mr. Shyam Nokta and team, inclusive of representatives from the Guyana Forestry Commission. The team discussed key issues related to REDD+, Guyana’s REDD+ efforts as well as the Regional Platform for the development of a REDD+ Programme across the Guiana Shield. The Regional Platform REDD+ Development Programme, a component of a larger project, is expected to be launched at the end of May. It’s overarching aim includes the reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GhG) associated with deforestation and forest degradation, and involves French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and the Brazilian State of Amapa.
The wider project will be executed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and it aims to share the resources and expertise of forest administration of France with Suriname, Guyana and the Brazilian State of Amapa, in order to develop the technical skills for the joint implementation of REDD+ in the Guiana Shield. The execution of the project will also involve close collaboration with NGO’s, research centres and representatives of indigenous peoples and international donors active in the Guiana Shield Region.
The Guiana Shield holds diverse ecosystems and the immense potential of the Region for the protection and maintenance of ecosystems and their services to address the issues associated with Climate Change has been widely recognised. In particular, the genesis of this engagement stemmed out of a meeting with the then President of Guyana and the Ministers of Environment of France and Suriname at the Climate Conference in Poznan in December 2008.