Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

Vanuatu's engagement with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) was initiated as a result of the Vanuatu Carbon Credits Project (VCCP). A roadmap workshop for the VCCP in 2008, marking the close of the project's first phase and establishing the way forward for its second phase, provided the mandate for the development of the Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-PIN). The R-PIN was written by an international consultant from Carbon Partnership Limited in conjunction with the Government of Vanuatu, specifically the Department of Forests. The FCPF ultimately accepted Vanuatu's R-PIN and signed the R-PP Formulation Grant of US$200,000 in order to develop the Readiness Preparation Proposal in May, 2010.

The R-PP was subsequently developed, after some initial delays in accessing funds for its preparation. After initially being driven by the VCCP, Vanuatu's involvement with the FCPF continued with the support of GIZ, on behalf of the German Environment Ministry, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), through their regional programme: 'Climate Protection through Forest Conservation in Pacific Island Countries'.

The R-PP was developed by a team of experts, comprising the R-PP Development Team. The final document was submitted to the FCPF in October 2013, and the R-PP Preparation Grant, enabling Vanuatu to access up to US$3.6 million for implementation of the R-PP, is expected to be signed by 31 May 2014 at the latest.

The R-PP gives a comprehensive overview of the country's planned approach to REDD+ implementation. It gives details of the proposed institutional arrangements for the management of the REDD+ readiness process and for the implementation of the national strategy, as well as the process of stakeholder engagement, and consultation and participation. It also covers the technical aspects of REDD+ and establishes the proposed process for the development of subnational and national reference levels for REDD+, a national forest monitoring system and a safeguards information system on safeguards. Finally, the R-PP contains the proposed budget and a framework for monitoring and evaluation.

The R-PP gives an expected timeline, which involves implementation of the R-PP from January 2014 to October 2018. The total budget for implementation is US$7,186,080, of which US$3.6 million is anticipated from the FCPF. This leaves US$3,586,080 remaining from unspecified sources.

An audit in order for Vanuatu to access the R-PP Preparation Grant is being undertaken, financed by another GIZ/SPC regional programme: 'Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region', with funding for the audit specifically coming from the component of this programme active in Fij