This report covers the technical assessment of the voluntary submission of Belize on its proposed forest reference level (FRL) in accordance with decision 13/CP.19 and in the context of results-based payments. The FRL proposed by Belize covers the activities, reducing emissions from deforestation, reducing emissions from forest degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, which are the activities included in paragraph 70 of decision 1/CP.16.

For its submission, Belize developed a national FRL. The FRL presented in the original submission, based on the reference period 2001–2020, corresponds to 0 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Belize proposed it with the aim of seeking results-based payments for net removals after considering all forest-related anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks in the country (referred to as the zero FRL approach). As a result of the facilitative process during the technical assessment, the FRL was modified to –2,218,935 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year based on the reference period 2011–2020.

The assessment team notes that the data and information used by Belize in constructing its FRL are mostly transparent, mostly complete and mostly in accordance with the guidelines contained in the annex to decision 12/CP.17. This report contains information on the assessed FRL and a few areas identified by the assessment team for future technical improvement in accordance with the provisions on the scope of the technical assessment contained in the annex to decision 13/CP.19.