The DRC REDD+ National Fund (FONAREDD)

A major entry point for REDD+ funding

Since 2012 the DRC has established a REDD+ National Fund (often referred to as its French acronym, FONAREDD) to serve as a financial vehicle for the implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy. Under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Finance and vice-chairmanship of the Ministry of Environment, the National REDD+ Fund has the ambition of representing the entry point for funding the country’s National REDD+ Strategy.

The FONAREDD facilitates the strategic use of contributions by:

• ministerial-level piloting covering six sectors
• strengthened coordination of various sources of climate finance and international and national partners
• increased national ownership
• efficient and results-oriented allocations respecting social and environmental safeguards.

Specific objectives of the FONAREDD

The FONAREDD promotes a programmatic approach minimizing duplications and transaction costs associated with REDD+ investments. It serves as the financial arm of the National REDD + Strategy and its Investment Plans, with specific objectives to:

1. Mobilize funding to achieve REDD+ national objectives and to strengthen the global leadership of the DRC
2. Finance the implementation of REDD+ investment plans through major REDD+ programs
3. Promote political dialogue associated with the REDD+ process
4. Use a results-based management framework and support the development of national instruments to measure, report and verify, in an ongoing and transparent manner, investment results, in accordance with UN-REDD standards and UNFCCC guidelines
5. Increase the Government’s coordination capacity for rapid, consistent and effective implementation of the REDD+ National Strategy and Investment Plans.

A unique, multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder governance structure

As drivers of deforestation and degradation cover a number of sectors, the DRC has deemed critical to establish a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder governance structure that ensures that policies and measures are anchored at the highest level of decision-making and coordinated efficiently.

• The Steering Committee, presided by the Ministry of Finance, holds the policy, decision-making and supervisory functions of the Fund. It includes six Ministers in charge of the main land-use sectors (agriculture, environment and forests, tenure, land use planning, energy) and civil society, the private sector and international technical and financial partners. Its decisions (in French) are published on the FONAREDD web site.
• The Technical Committee, led by the Ministry of Environment, assesses all REDD+ program proposals to the Fund and submits its recommendations to the Steering Committee. This multi-stakeholder body comprises national and international experts. Its agenda and communiqués (in French) are available on the FONAREDD site
• The Executive Secretariat manages the daily coordination of the activities of the Fund.

The operations of the FONAREDD are funded by CAFI via a project through UNDP. 

High fiduciary standards

The National REDD+ Fund is a vertical fund whose management is provided by the Office of the Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF). The fiduciary rules and procedures of the entities that have access to the Fund apply. Donors to FONAREDD can allocate their contributions through one or several modalities, among the following: United Nations agencies and multilateral and regional development banks; technical bilateral agencies (AFD, GIZ, JICA, etc); international NGOS; and national entities.

Bookmarkable links

The DRC National REDD+ Fund page of the MPTF Gateway provides key figures, funding status, contributions and projects.

The FONAREDD web site (in French) contains information about programming, recourses and complaints.