The Illusion of Democratic Representation in the Redd Readiness Consultation Process in Ghana

2015

English

Ghana claims to have developed its REDD Readiness Plan through a highly participatory and consultative process using the notion of stakeholder representation in designing the institutional architecture for participation. The rhetoric of democratic representation is highly visible in Ghana’s constitution and forest policy statements. To what extent were the espoused democratic principles regarding representation implemented by intervening authorities who designed and implemented the REDD Readiness strategy consultative process? The paper explores democratic representation of REDD actors, by examining espoused visions of democracy against actual commitments in practice. The paper argues that representation is an illusory feature of the REDD participatory process in Ghana because it is used symbolically rather than substantively. It shows that policy commitments to democratic representation in the R-PP consultation and participation process were largely symbolic to the extent that the allocation of resources did not reflect the depth of the espoused language of democracy. The paper also shows that there seems to be a fundamental gap on democratic notions of responsiveness and accountability between scholars and authorities of programmes like REDD. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the struggle by REDD authorities to define the institutional architecture for the representation of local people and civil society in national processes like REDD that can deliver responsiveness and accountability in practice In effect, current understanding of representation under institutional choices for stakeholder participation approaches seems to be very far from the desired democracy outcomes of responsiveness and accountability.

Marfo, E.