Knowledge

Programme News

Events

About the project

The European Union’s Landscapes for Our Future programme supports 22 integrated landscape management projects across 19 countries and 3 sub-regions across the Global South.

READ MORE

South America and the Caribbean

Africa

Asia

¿Cómo vamos? A tool to support more equitable co-management of Peru’s protected areas

This brief presents the findings of an assessment conducted in Peru to understand and verify the adoption, outcomes, and potential impacts of the participatory reflective monitoring tool called "¿Cómo vamos?" (How are we doing?) in multistakeholder forums (MSFs). MSFs are recognized as a means of fostering transformative change to address the environmental and social impacts of the climate crisis. In Peru, the Protected Areas Service (SERNANP) mandates the establishment of MSFs or management committees (MCs) involving various stakeholders in the management of protected areas. The tool was co-developed and tested by CIFOR and SERNANP with eight MCs. The positive reception and interest in the tool led SERNANP to publish it as an official document and require its annual implementation by the MCs of its 75 protected areas. This assessment provides insights into the adoption, outcomes, and potential impacts of the tool in Peru.
Download from CIFOR
Download in English
Download in Spanish

A place at the table is not enough: Accountability for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in multi-stakeholder platforms

This article explores the challenges of achieving equity in multi-stakeholder platforms and forums (MSFs) focused on sustainable land and resource governance. Drawing on a comparative study of 11 subnational MSFs in Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Peru, the article examines the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) who participate in these forums. The research aims to understand how MSFs can ensure voice, empowerment, and address inequality, while being accountable to the needs and interests of IPLCs. The findings highlight the optimism of IPLC participants but also reveal accountability failures. The article argues for greater strategic attention to how marginalized groups perceive their participation in MSFs and proposes ways to foster collective action and hold more powerful actors accountable to achieve equality, empowerment, and justice.
Download from CIFOR
Download here

Can multi-stakeholder forums mediate indigenous rights and development priorities? Insights from the Peruvian Amazon

This article examines the role of a multi-stakeholder forum (MSF) called PIACI Roundtable in protecting indigenous peoples in isolation and initial contact (PIACI) in Peru's Loreto region. The MSF aimed to address delays in establishing Indigenous Reserves for PIACI. The article highlights the potential of MSFs to raise awareness and coordinate actions for vulnerable groups, but emphasizes the importance of shared respect for recognized rights among participants. Without such respect, MSFs may prioritize other perspectives over the rights of marginalized communities.
Download from CIFOR
Download here

How Are Land-Use Multi-stakeholder Fora Affected by Their Contexts?

This chapter examines the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder mechanisms in addressing power relations in forest and land use decision-making. It analyzes eight multi-stakeholder fora in the Peruvian Amazon, specifically in the Madre de Dios and San Martin regions. The chapter uses three ideal types (decision-making, management, and influence) to analyze these mechanisms based on a review of the literature. It highlights the influence of context, processes, and outcomes on the functioning of multi-stakeholder fora.
Read at CIFOR
Read here

Introduction – Multi-stakeholder forums and the promise of more equitable and sustainable land and resource use: perspectives from Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Peru

This Special Issue of the International Forestry Review presents a multi-country comparative research project by CIFOR, exploring the potential of multi-stakeholder forums (MSFs) as participatory mechanisms for sustainable land and resource use. The seven papers analyse power inequalities inherent in MSFs and discuss their capacity for equitable decision-making. While approaching MSFs from different perspectives, the papers emphasize the need for transformative MSFs that go beyond mere participation to achieve meaningful change.
Download from CIFOR
Download here

The role of multi-stakeholder forums in subnational jurisdictions: Framing literature review for in-depth field research

Drawing on 30+ years of experience, this Literature Review informs CIFOR's research on multi-stakeholder forums addressing land use in Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Peru. It explores the potential of MSFs to coordinate goals effectively while cautioning against token participation and aims to contribute to the study of participatory processes in the context of climate change.
Published by CIFOR
Download here

The meeting of multiple governmentalities and technologies of participation in protected areas: The case of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (Peruvian Amazon)

This article analyzes the co-management of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (RCA) in the Peruvian Amazon, highlighting the intersection of socio-historical processes and the exclusion of Andean migrants from participatory governance. It raises questions about the inclusivity of multi-stakeholder forums in protected area governance.
Published by CIFOR
Download here

Multistakeholder platforms for natural resource governance: lessons from eight landscape-level cases

A comparative analysis of eight landscape-level multistakeholder platforms (MSPs) across seven countries, examining their influence on stakeholder interactions and offering insights for effective MSP design and organization. Lessons learned include the importance of aligning MSPs with the governance context, promoting inclusive processes to address power inequities, and supporting adaptive learning for long-term impact through outcome monitoring, expanded stakeholder engagement, and investment in MSP durability.
Download from Ecology & Society
Download here

Organizing for transformation? How and why organizers plan their multi-stakeholder forums

This article investigates the alignment of multi-stakeholder forum (MSF) organizers' plans and expectations with previous lessons on "invited spaces" regarding power relations and contextual considerations. Analysing 13 subnational MSFs in Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Peru, the study reveals that while organizers aimed to include historically disempowered groups, they often overlooked addressing power inequalities and lacked strategies to engage with unsustainable local development and political priorities.
Download from CIFOR
Download here

Understanding Difference to Build Bridges among Stakeholders

Perceptions of Participation in Four Multi-stakeholder Forums in the Peruvian Amazon

This study analyses the perspectives of participants and organizers in Peruvian Amazon multi-stakeholder forums (MSFs) using Q-methodology. It reveals nuanced perceptions, highlighting optimism, risk awareness, and challenges in addressing inequality. The findings offer insights for constructing more effective and equitable MSFs.

Download from CIFOR
Download here

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best website experience. By clicking “I Accept” you acknowledge the use of cookies and to our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Use.

I Accept