Turning reparations lessons into insights for the fund for responding to loss and damage

Loss and damage is an important component of the global climate regime. While the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage is being rapidly designed, many key administrative decisions–such as how to allocate resources–have yet to be decided. Building on the insight that climate change is not the only time humans have had to navigate mechanisms to address deep forms of loss and damage, this synthesis article assembles lessons from accumulated global experiences with reparations programmes typically used to address serious losses and damages in other contexts. By synthesizing concrete lessons from other administrative reparations programmes this paper offers concrete recommendations for the design and operationalization of the Fund, in addition to some mechanisms that may lay outside the global multi-lateral regime. Specifically, this paper identifies useful insights about managing evidence and eligibility; procedural considerations, and questions about funding. Taken together these are then used to suggest that the FRLD develop: a schedule of loss and damage activities; mechanisms that connect intended beneficiaries to the process of identifying actions; pathways to generate and accept non-Party financial contributions; and a planned revision cycle that includes intended beneficiaries. In addition, it highlights the inherent limitations of the FRLD, and reiterates the importance of broader efforts to address loss and damage and ambitious mitigation and adaptation action.