International forest policy integration: Who benefits from the interplay of international forest and climate institutions in the case of REDD+ formulation?

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lukas Giessen
• Subject Area: Forestry
• Term: from 2011 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 213746058

This project assesses how the interactions between international forest- and climate-institutions concerning the integration of forests into the global climate policy domain (international forest policy integration) benefit the most influential national and multinational state and non-state actors. This is done by an interest-based analysis of the institutions and actors contributions to the ongoing formulation of a yet fragmented REDD+ programme. The following objectives are put forth:1. Analysing the main national and multinational state and non-state actors and their interests within the ongoing process of REDD+ formulation 2. Examining the main actors interest-driven direct contribution to the formulation 3. Examining the main actors interest-driven indirect contribution to the formulation via the organisations of the international climate and forest institutions4. Examining contributions independently made by the international institutions5. Analysing whose interests are supported by the international institutions and their organisations contributions to REDD+ formulation (building on the results of 2, 3 and 4)6. Identify cases in which both, forest and climate institutions and/or influential actors show congruent preferences in support of integrationThese questions will be addressed by combining qualitative interviews with experienced experts and key bureaucrats of the major forest- and climate-institutions (i.e. the secretariats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Forum on Forests) and the National Focal Points of selected states with content analyses of public and internal documents. Through triangulation the data derived will be validated. The results will contribute to the current scientific debate on political influence within REDD+ , to the interplay of international institutions and especially to the fields of (international) forest policy integration in global forest politics.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Netherlands
• Host: Professor Dr. Bas J.M Arts