Call for nominations: sustainable forest management and certification body requirements

16 January 2019 PEFC system news

PEFC invites stakeholders globally to nominate candidates for the Certification Body Requirements for Chain of Custody Revision Working Group and for our newly established permanent Sustainable Forest Management Working Group.

To nominate a candidate to participate in one of these working groups, please fill out the nomination form. The nomination deadline is 6 February 2019.

Please ensure that your nomination represents one or more of the five stakeholder categories below:

• Certified PEFC scheme users: forest owners and managers; forest based industry (processing and trade) (max. 5)
• Uncertified PEFC scheme users: PEFC scheme assessors; certification bodies; accreditation bodies; consultants (max. 5)
• Customers and consumers: retailer organizations; consumer organizations; institutional consumers of forest based products, including governments (max. 5)
• Civil society: science, environmental, social and other interest groups (max. 5)
• PEFC National Governing Body members (max. 5)

In addition to this wide range of stakeholder interests, we also aim for a balanced representation of genders and regions in the working groups.

To find out more about our ongoing standards revision process, including which standards are currently under revision and which ones have already been approved, visit our PEFC Standards Revision website.

Sustainable Forest Management Working Group (WG SFM)

Following a two-year multi-stakeholder standard revision process, the PEFC General Assembly approved the two revised benchmark standards for forest management and group certification in November 2018.

They are now available as PEFC International standards, PEFC ST 1003:2018, Sustainable Forest Management – Requirements and PEFC ST 1002:2018, Group Forest Management Certification – Requirements.

This permanent WG will be responsible for providing guidance on the implementation and interpretation of these benchmarks. This includes the continued development of our newly adopted approach of certification for Trees outside Forests, such as urban trees or agro-forestry.

WG SFM will meet two times a year, mainly in Geneva, Switzerland, but occasionally at other locations. The first meeting is scheduled for 6 – 7 May 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. Nominate your representative now.

Certification Body Requirements for Chain of Custody Working Group (WG 5)

WG 5 will be responsible for the revision of PEFC ST 2003:2012, Certification Body Requirements - Chain of Custody. This standard defines the requirements for certification bodies conducting PEFC Chain of Custody certification. Stakeholders are also invited to comment on the scope of the revision process – please refer to the Project Paper.

The first WG 5 meeting will take place on 20 - 21 March 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. WG 5 is expected to meet three times in total. We anticipate that the revision will be finalized by the end of 2019. Nominate your representative now.

Important information

We expect participants to attend the first meeting of WG SFM and WG 5 in person. In subsequent meetings, participation via teleconferencing will be available as back-up option, if required. WG members are expected to participate in WG meetings consistently and in person as much as possible.

PEFC is not in the position to fund WG members’ expenses incurred due to participation in the WG, unless otherwise agreed with PEFC’s Secretary General in writing.