Safeguards at a glance: Are the Monitoring, Reporting, Verification, and Grievance Redress Mechanisms of voluntary standards supporting community rights in REDD+?

Key messages

• While carbon accounting has comprehensive guidelines and is a funding priority in REDD+ readiness, there is no similar emphasis on the assessment of compliance with social safeguards through a monitoring, verification and reporting (MRV) system, or for grievance and redress mechanisms (GRMs).
• Our analysis shows an absence of stakeholder involvement in the design and implementation of both MRV procedures for safeguards and the design of GRMs; meaningful local engagement is needed, particularly of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs).
• Most of the standards recognize gender inequalities, but fail to promote gender-responsive approaches in both safeguards MRV and GRMs; such approaches would promote equity through mechanisms that consider women’s perspectives as well as their unequal access to resources and benefits.
• Accessible GRM procedures are mentioned across various standards, but specific details regarding culturally appropriate content, dissemination and specific procedures are often lacking.
• Rigorous safeguards MRV and GRM requirements are essential for the effective implementation of REDD+ projects and programmes that aim to go beyond ‘doing no harm’; requirements should promote transparency and accountability, and include clear thresholds, indicators and consequences for non-compliance.

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