
The Policy and Standards Committee acts on behalf of the Board of Directors (BoD) with respect to technical matters related to the development or revision of FSC Policies, Standards, Procedures and other FSC normative documents.
The FSC general assembly brings together hundreds of leaders and decision-makers from Indigenous Peoples, environmentalists, businesses, and others from FSC’s membership to discuss a responsible future for the world’s forests, and the people and animals who inhabit them. Delegates also include certification bodies, certificate holders, union representatives, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and observers.
Our membership fees vary according to the location of the individual or organizational member in either the global North or the global South. For organizations, membership fees also vary according to the type and size of the organization.
Theme: Standards & audit systems
Motions discussed: 10, 13, 14, 16, 30, 31, 37, 42, 45, 54, 55, 58, 60.
In this meeting, members discussed the following motions:
*Please note that these motions were modified at the close of the deadline for amending motions (August 31, 2021).
You can watch the recordings of the main plenary session here:
We have a selection of materials and multimedia resources related to your FSC membership in preparation for the GA 2022. Please contact your Membership Regional Coordinator for more information.
This webinar presented the board’s work to implement Motion 63 from 2017, including the efforts to develop a revised Network Policy and Procedure. In the webinar, members got an update on the process for this work, including the upcoming public consultation. The webinar was also relevant for the current motions related to Network Development.
Watch the recording here: English | Spanish (will be available soon)
FSC members vote for the FSC Board of Directors who are accountable to the members. The Board of Directors have the responsibility of monitoring the work of FSC, particularly that the motions passed at the General Assembly are being put forward.
This motion is now the result of a consolidation exercise by the motions proposers/seconders, merging former Motions 37, 38, 39/ 2021.
Motion 37/2021 if passed at the GA, is the motion that will provide the mechanism to update FSC’s highest level framework (P&C’s) and position on conversion (past, present and future) and enable the updated and aligned normative framework in the FSC system, as requested by Motion 07/2017.
The aligned package of normative documents was released for consultation last Friday, 11th March, and more details are available here. We invite you to look at the explanatory documentation in this consultation package.
Also note that Policy Motion 45/2021 - Stop the current process on revision of the FSC Policy on Conversion is connected to this motion and we were able to hear from the proposers of this motion.
We have reached a significant milestone in the relationship between the FSC system and the topic of conversion. We thank those members that joined us in this important dialogue and support FSC to establish new expectations and requirements for conversion- past, present and future- through remedy and restoration, as well as a new cut-off date for excluding material from the FSC system if it originates from converted natural forests or High Conservation Value areas.
We hosted two identical sessions to accommodate different time zones.
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:
Libreville, January 31, 2020 - A cooperation agreement was signed between the Ministry of Forests of Gabon and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
FSC has blocked An Viet Phat Energy Co. Ltd (SGSHK-COC-370077) for deliberately making false claims on a large volume of wood pellets they sold in 2020. An ongoing transaction verification loop revealed that An Viet Phat Energy created purchase documents with FSC 100% claims for non-FSC raw material. An Viet Phat Energy used this material for producing wood pellets, which they sold with FSC 100% claims.
The FSC International Board of Directors decided earlier this year to postpone the 9th FSC General Assembly considering the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and to protect the health of the organization’s members, staff, supporters, and others. The General Assembly is now planned to be conducted from Sunday, 10 Oct – Friday, 15 Oct 2021.
There have been some recent media reports and allegations connecting FSC with violations of workers’ rights inside prisons in Belarus, despite the termination of all FSC certificates of penal colonies in Belarus in 2021 by certification bodies.
FSC-PRO-01-001 The Development and Revision of FSC® Requirements provides the process steps for how to develop, review, revise, and withdraw international FSC requirements. FSC invites you to participate in the second public consultation of the procedure from 29 April – 30 June 2022 via the FSC Consultation Platform.