The Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development (MFFESD), through the National Climate Change Office, is implementing the REDD+ Readiness Preparation Project. REDD+ is a global initiative to combat climate change by reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and by fostering conservation, sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The REDD+ Project, through a participatory and inclusive process, will assist Belize in preparing to participate in future REDD+ carbon payment transactions.

One of the mechanisms that has been prepared by the REDD+ Project is a Feedback Grievance Redress Mechanism (FGRM) for the current Readiness phase and the Implementation phase. FGRMs are channels that citizens use to provide feedback, make complaints, and/or seek redress on matters related to the REDD+ Project activities. Equal Chances @ Green Development (ECGD) was contracted by MFFESD to develop the FGRM for the REDD+ Project.

On Wednesday, August 21, 2019, the ECGD held a workshop with Government of Belize officials to get feedback on existing FGRMs to inform the design of the FGRM. The workshop had fifteen (15) participants from the Department of Rural Development, the Forest Department, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. Participants discussed the current challenges of existing grievance systems in their respective departments/ministries. In addition, participants provided input for the design of a reliable, accessible, and predictable FGRM for the REDD+ Project. The ECGD has produced a joint plan for the FGRM, including the accompanying documents for its implementation.