This discussion paper was prepared for two workshops delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins at the World Agroforestry Centre (ASB-ICRAF) which took place in Douala, Cameroon, and Hanoi, Vietnam, in May 2011. It focuses on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+), aiming to increase understanding of the negotiations, as well as provide information on experiences in the forestry sector to lay the technical and policy foundations for better REDD+ programmes.