The critical role of indigenous peoples and local communities, and the need for state-level public policies that incorporate these groups into decision-making to protect forests and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is recognized globally. The GCF Task Force, a coalition of states and provinces representing over one-third of the world’s tropical forests, is leading efforts to build governmental-indigenous-community dialogue and partnerships. On Friday, March 2nd, a workshop on "Paths for Dialogue Between Indigenous Peoples and Subnational Governments of the Governors' Climate and Forests (GCF) Task Force in Brazil" will be held, featuring expert panels of GCF Task Force delegates, national government officials, indigenous leaders, and NGOs. Participants will share progress and lessons learned as well as develop recommendations and next steps for promoting inclusive approaches to forest conservation and low emissions development. Afternoon breakout sessions will begin to construct state-specific and Brazil-wide proposals for increased collaboration that will be presented at the GCF Task Force Annual Meeting and Global Climate Action Summit in California (10-14 September, 2018). Background: At the 2014 Annual Meeting of the GCF Task Force in Rio Branco, Acre, GCF Task Force members signed the Rio Branco Declaration (RBD), making a commitment to reduce deforestation by 80 percent in their states and provinces by the year 2020. In order to achieve this goal, they called for financial support and partnerships with the private sector, local communities, and indigenous peoples. Incorporating each group’s unique perspectives, interests, and priorities can ensure more successful, sustainable approaches to reducing deforestation. Using a jurisdictional approach to low emissions development and reducing deforestation, the GCF Task Force seeks to mitigate climate change while improving rural livelihoods. Continuing this conversation, in July 2016, the government of Acre (through the Institute of Climate Change and with the support of GCF Task Force and civil society partners, including Earth Innovation Institute, Forest Trends and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute) convened government representatives to discuss the political commitments of the RBD, proposing a holistic and inclusive approach to promoting the protection of forests, low-carbon development, and benefit-sharing with indigenous peoples (IPs) and local communities (LCs). The event was attended by representatives of the Member States of the Brazilian Amazon, the MMA, and FUNAI. Further, the GCF Task Force Annual Meeting in 2016 addressed how governments can articulate, work, and develop partnerships with IPs and LCs. As a result, the GCF Task Force created an IP/LC Working Group to promote partnerships between subnational governments, IPs, and LCs. The IP/LC Working Group had its first meeting in August 2017 in California. At the GCF Task Force Annual Meeting in Indonesia in September 2017, proposals of this working group, including Principles of Collaboration between subnational governmental leaders and IP/LC representatives, were introduced to the wider GCF Task Force network - including governors from Indonesia, Peru, and Brazil, lP leaders, donors (the Government of Norway, United Kingdom, and Climate and Land Use Alliance), and key partners in civil society. The March 2018 workshop in Rio Branco is the next step in the process of developing pathways toward RBD commitments to promote inclusive decision making and benefits sharing while preserving forests and improving livelihoods.

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Launched in 2008 by ten Governors from Brazil, Indonesia, and the U.S., the Governors’ Climate and Forests (GCF) Task Force advances jurisdiction-wide approaches to addressing tropical deforestation and promote low emissions development. Since 2008, the GCF has more than tripled its membership (from 10 to 38) and expanded its reach to include jurisdictions from ten countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Spain, and the United States) and one-third of the world’s tropical forests. More here: http://www.gcftf.org.