The event was attended by the Board of Trustee members, the Executive Director, Representatives from the Ministry of Forestry and partner NGOs, as well as KEMITRAAN staff.
“Our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre, gave me and the other Norwegian Ambassadors as mission to try to make a difference in the country where we were sent. As a land blessed with plenty of resources, we should give back and help other countries and peoples” said Ambassador Homme when starting his lecture. He told about why and how Indonesia has become a priority country and strategic partner with Norway, and in particular how President Yudhoyonos’s commitment to reduce the Country’s greenhouse gases emission by 26% through Business-as-Usual trajectory or by 41% with international assistance, had prepared the ground for our unique bilateral climate and forestry partnership. While waiting for a global climate agreement, the world needs more of such partnerships, Ambassador Homme said.
Photo: Ambassador Homme and Mr. Wicaksono Sarosa, Executive Director of KEMITRAAN and Mrs. Erna Witoelar, Chair of KEMITRAAN’S Board of Trustee
He noted in this regard how the cooperation between the Norway Embassy and KEMITRAAN within forestry governance had significantly contributed to the betterment of forestry governance, ahead of and in the wake of the signing of the Letter of Intent on REDD+ in 2010. He underlined the important role KEMITRAAN has and will continue to play as an agent of ideas, knowledge and change, itself being a partnership of different NGOs.
“KEMITRAAN has been a long time partner and crucial resource organization in various discussions on governance and forest governance in Indonesia and a key partner in the whole LoI process through contributing inputs, feedback and information in discussions and forums on governance and forest governance, as well as bringing in multi-stakeholders’ participation and help in better defining their roles in good governance scheme”, said Ambassador Homme to highlight the roles that KEMITRAAN has played.
Norway has supported KEMITRAAN’s Forestry Governance Programs implemented in 2 phases: phase 1 (2007-2010) and phase 2 (2011-2014). The first phase program was aimed at securing sustainable management of Indonesia’s forests in order to reduce poverty and mitigate climate change through the betterment of forest sector governance in four areas: Community-based Forest Management (CBFM), Payment for Environmental Services (PES), decentralization of forest management, and the linkage between forests and climate change. The second phase program, which is still on-going, was aimed at deepening governance reform in the forest sector to address climate change.
Photo: KEMITRAAN gave a token to appreciate Ambassador Homme’s support to the partnership
Ambassador Homme noted that over the last 6 years the bilateral contacts and ties between Norway and Indonesia have grown considerably. Politically it is presently founded on the two Foreign Ministers Joint Declaration of a strategic partnership from 2010, a partnership with 4 main pillars: climate and energy, democracy and human rights, international political issues, and economic and business cooperation. In Indonesia, these topics have been translated into various development programs in collaboration with the Government, NGOs, the UN and different International Development Agencies.
“Norway has been an important partner for Indonesia on forestry and REDD+, not only because it has led by giving good examples, but also because Norway has taken a risk for committing support for REDD+ in Indonesia when other countries are still waiting for visible results”, said Ibu Erna Witoelar, Chair of KEMITRAAN’s Board of Trustee, in her closing remarks. She thanked Ambassador Homme for his strong efforts over the last 4 years to really make a difference.