
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:
The New Approaches project engaged family foresters and partners in the United States to update on project activities and pilot activities to benefit smallholders and communities.
On July 11th, a webinar for members shared information and answered questions about the implementation of Motion 23 and the pilots. Over 200 members registered and approximately 130 members and stakeholders attended the webinar, showing the interest of members in issues related to IFLs and Motion 23.
As demand for certified forest products increases alongside efforts to decarbonize the economy and mitigate climate change, understanding the economic benefits of forest certification is critical.
A study published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change explored this question.
Last October, the global strategy development processes resulted in your vision for FSC being agreed in the FSC Global Strategic Plan 2015-2020. The strategy is transformative and bold with the aspiration to be the leading catalyst and defining force for improved forest management and market transformation, shifting the global forest trend toward sustainable use, conservation, restoration, and respect for all.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has reached an important milestone with the approval of the FSC core labour requirements within the Chain of Custody standards. With this new step, the principles of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Core Conventions and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at work (1998) are integrated into FSC’s Chain of Custody standards.
FSC Ukraine and other Ukrainian organizations jointly organized an international research conference to address challenges faced by the Ukraine forestry sector, and also to explore the opportunity FSC certification represents for the country and the CIS region. The participants also developed a resolution addressed to the Ukrainian government calling for a reform of the national forest sector. The resolution includes the recommendation to use FSC forest management (FM) certification as best practice.
WAZA seeks to boost the use of sustainably sourced products amongst its members.
On 26 and 27 November, the Forest Stewardship Council Regional Meeting of Indigenous Peoples was held in “Ciudad del Saber” (Panama) in a climate of brotherhood and cordiality.