The GoG has put in place a Safeguard information System (SIS), which is understood to be a domestic institutional arrangement responsible for providing information as to how the safeguards are being addressed and respected in the context of the implementation of the REDD+ actions.
Objectives
The objectives of Guyana’s SIS is to provide transparent and consistent information that is accessible on a regular basis by relevant stakeholders over how the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the REDD+ actions. As such, the SIS will be used to:
Provide information that is accessible by domestic stakeholders over how the seven Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of the REDD+ actions;
Provide the required information to ART over how TREES safeguard requirements (in particular, the structural, process and outcome safeguards indicators) are being met;
Provide the required information to the UNFCCC (through the most recent summary of information) over how all the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected.
Functions and Institutional Arrangements
The SIS has four key functions and associated institutional arrangements (See Figure below).
SIS’s functions and associated institutional arrangements
Function 1: Collection of information
This function refers to the process of collecting information in correlation to the SIS’s indicators. Information will be collected the first quarter of each calendar year.
The collection of information is to be carried out primarily by the REDD+ Implementing agencies (i.e. those agencies with institutional responsibility and mandate over the implementation of the REDD+ Actions) as a component of their monitoring and reporting responsibilities.
Additionally, and to complement the information gathered by REDD+ Implementing agencies, the relevant grievance redress mechanisms (GRM) agencies will also be responsible for the collection of information. Table below identifies the specific GRMs that will be responsible for providing information.
Both REDD+ Implementing agencies and GRM agencies will be primarily responsible for collecting information in relation to REDD+ Direct Action’s specific indicators, including the means by which the actions have been addressed.
Available GRMs and responsible agencies
| Level | Legislation | Institution |
| National Law Courts | Summary Jurisdiction Act | Magistrate’s Court |
| High Court Act | High Courts | |
| Court of Appeal Act | Court of Appeal | |
| Caribbean Court of Justice Act | Caribbean Court of Justice | |
| Special | Land Registry Act | Land Court |
| Purpose Forums | Arbitration Act | Arbitrators |
| Constitution, Ombudsman Act | Ombudsman | |
| Sector Specific Mechanisms | GLSC Act, State Lands Act, State Lands Resumption Act, Public Lands Act, | Guyana Lands and Survey Commission |
| GGMC Act, Mining Act, Mining and Petroleum Act | Guyana Geology and Mines Commission | |
| GFC Act, Forests Act | Guyana Forestry Commission | |
| Amerindian Act | Ministry of Amerindian Affairs | |
| Amerindian Land Titling Project GRM | ||
| Environmental Protection Act | Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Assessment Board Environmental Appeals Tribunal | |
| Protected Areas Act | Protected Areas Commission | |
| Wildlife Conservation and Management Act | Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission | |
| Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest, Land and Trade with the European Union | EU-FLEGT GRM | |
| Local community mechanisms | Amerindian Act 2006 | Amerindian Village and Community Councils |
Function 2: Aggregation of information
This function refers to the process of aggregating all the requested information, with the aim of understanding the level of conformance with the SIS’s indicators for each REDD+ Action. The aggregation of information will take place during the second quarter of each calendar year.
The National Safeguard Specialist (housed at the Guyana Forestry Commission) will be responsible for the aggregation of the information. A SIS database is used to aggregate and analyse the information of how the safeguards are being addressed and respected.
Function 3: Analysis of information
The analysis function aims to provide an analysis of the level conformance with the SIS’s indicators for each REDD+ Action.
The REDD+ Safeguards Committee with the support of the National Safeguard Specialist will analyze the information and prepare a draft report. This will take place within 60 days of the aggregation of information.
Should be noted that the members of the REDD+ Safeguards Committee will be responsible for consulting with its own constituencies in this process, to gather their respective views and perspectives.
The draft report will be posted on the LCDS and GFC’s SIS webpages, and the public will have 30 working days to submit any written comments to the GFC.
The GFC will address feedback received within 30 days of finalizing the public comment period and prepare a final report. Based on comments received, the office will issue a responsiveness summary that summarizes all comments and responses to each and will submit the final report for validation and endorsement.
The final report will be sent to the Multistakeholder Steering Committee (MSSC) for its validation.
Function 4: Dissemination of information
This function refers to the process of disseminating the information produced by the SIS.
The final validated report (SOI) will be published every year by the GFC on the LCDS and GFC’s SIS webpage. This same report will be shared with the UNFCCC focal point to trigger its submission to the UNFCCC.
The GoG will also utilize the final national report to trigger the preparation of the monitoring reports for ART/TREES. Is important to note that the monitoring reports will be based entirely on the final validated reports, which is why no additional public consultation process is considered.