FSC International held the Third Conversion Dialogue, which took place online on 03 march 2021 at 10:00 (CET), with an identical second session at 16:00 (CET).
The following topics were covered:
An overview of the planned timelines for discussions and decisions in the different processes relevant for the Policy on Conversion. We will look at what is expected in the lead-up to the FSC General Assembly, what will be available for discussion and decision at the GA itself, and what will happen after;
The process of alignment between FSC’s work on conversion and the Policy for Association with a particular focus on how we ensure that remedy is considered in a consistent way across the different work streams.
FSC’s General Assembly is a triannual event which brings together several thousand leaders and decision makers from indigenous peoples, environmentalists, businesses, and many others to discuss challenges and solutions for FSC and responsible forest management.
For those that have never attended a General Assembly or are not familiar with how FSC governance works, this webinar provided an introduction to FSC membership, how our governance works, and an overview of the General Assembly, motions and voting.
The webinar took place via Zoom. Simultaneous translation to English, Spanish, and French was available.
FSC Members propose motions to prioritize issues or ideas that are important for the development of FSC. A motion is a proposal to change or create an FSC Policy or Statute through member discussion, debate and voting. Submitting a motion is one of the most important actions an FSC member can take. Statutory motions are proposals to amend the FSC Statutes or Principles & Criteria while Policy motions are proposals for amendments to FSC policies or operational procedures.
The shift towards a more results-driven certification approach will be explored, ensuring that conformity with FSC translates into measurable positive impacts on forests and communities.
Date: Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Morning Session: From 09:00 to 10:30 CET, in English only. Register here
Afternoon Session: From 16:00 to 17:30 CET, in English with simultaneous translation to Spanish and French. Register here
The meeting took place via Zoom, in two identical sessions to accommodate several time zones and enable the participation of our membership from all regions.
You can find the recordings of these meetings here:
As a multi-stakeholder initiative, FSC relies on its diverse array of stakeholders to help ensure the applicability, efficiency, and integrity of our global certification system. We have multiple documents currently available for public consultation that will change key components of FSC and are looking for your input through the FSC Consultation Platform.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is launching the 2nd public consultation on the revision of FSC-STD-50-001: Requirements for the Use of FSC® Trademarks by Certificate Holders.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in collaboration with Assurance Services International (ASI) launched a transaction verification (TV) loop on FSC-certified teak in June 2022.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will begin phase one of a proposed two-phase multi-year learning process on genetic engineering (GE) in forestry outside of FSC certified area.
FSC is introducing changes to its Policy for Association (FSC-POL-01-004) (PfA). The changes established via version 3 of the PfA (PfA v3) were approved by the Board of Directors of FSC International (in accordance with its statutory authority to issue and define the PfA) and will come into effect on 1 January 2023.
Motion 12 was approved at the FSC General Assembly 2014 in Seville, Spain and called for a process to consider the challenges and opportunities for plantation restoration and conversion. Following its approval, a chamber-balanced working group drafted a proposal for potential solutions. Now FSC International invites all stakeholders who would like to contribute to the development of the conversion rules to join a consultative forum webinar with Motion 12 Working Group.
In 2016, we established the New Approaches project, designed to develop additional ways for us to support smallholders and communities on their journey to FSC certification. Today, the project is built on 25 years of work culminating into a formalized program within FSC to continue developing innovative approaches towards social policy and smallholders and communities.
Depending on when the unacceptable activity occurs/occurred, FSC will determine which policy version is used as the point of reference. If the unacceptable activity occurred prior to 2023, version 2-0 of the policy will be applied, whereas if the unacceptable activity occurs in 2023 or beyond, version 3-0 of the Policy for Association will be applied. To access Policy for Association, version 2-0, click here . The Policy for Association is an expression of the values shared by individuals and organizations associated with FSC. It defines six unacceptable activities that associated individuals and organizations and their corporate group commit to avoid in both certified and non-certified operations. The Policy for Association serves as a risk management tool for FSC, protecting the credibility and reputation of the FSC brand and organizations associated with it.
The objective of this standard is to provide the requirements for FSC-accredited certification bodies to assess conformity of The Organization against applicable requirements of the FSC normative
framework with regards to forest management certification, as well as reporting and decision making.
To access the older version 3-0 effective only until December 31, 2025, click here .
Completed NRA for Chile.This document is an assessment of the risk of sourcing material from unacceptable sources in a given country, developed according to FSC-PRO-60-002 V3-0 EN The Development and Approval of FSC National Risk Assessments.This risk assessment shall be used when implementing FSC-STD-40-005 V3-1 EN Requirements for Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood.Please Note: Certificate holders have until 04 September 2020 to adapt their due diligence system to include the changes brought about by FSC-NRA-CL V1-0. The CNRA will remain available for download until that date. ++ Click here to submit a change request for this FSC risk assessment ++
The objective of this document is to specify the requirements for FSC-accredited certification bodies for developing Interim National Standard (INS) or Interim Regional Standard (IRS), depending on the geographic scope of the standard, for the certification of responsible forest management and the responsible management of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) at the Management Unit (MU) level. These standards shall be based on the International Generic Indicators (IGI) and shall address the regional, national or sub-national conditions in which they are to be used and shall consider input from local stakeholders. The FSC Board of Directors at FSC International, acting through the Policy Steering Group (PSG) shall approve Interim National Standards (INS) before they can be used for FSC certification purposes. In March 2020 the revised procedure was published to reflect the FSC Board of Directors’ decision during their 82nd meeting to delegate the approval of INS to the Policy Steering Group.