3 June 2014, IISD News - The REDD+ National Coordination Office in  the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) convened the first REDD+ University  for a hundred participants representing government organizations, civil society,  local communities and indigenous peoples.

The University covered: climate change and REDD+, the REDD+ process and  implementation framework in the DRC, communication on REDD+, and the Emission  Reductions Program Idea Note (ER-PIN) in the DRC. The University also focused on  REDD + projects and sustainable forest management in Bandundu as well as the  jurisdictional approach to REDD+ as applied in Bandundu.

In discussion forums held during the University, participants discussed  issues ranging from artisanal logging to provincial participation in the  Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and  Trade (FLEGT) process with the EU. Stakeholder participation was also  extensively addressed, including representation by indigenous peoples and local  communities.

Outcomes from the University included a set of recommendations on the need to  identify priority REDD+ areas, the importance of collecting and disseminating  good practices in forest management and sustainable agriculture, and  opportunities for closer collaboration among REDD+ agencies and  stakeholders.

Source: http://forests-l.iisd.org/news/drc-launches-redd-university/