Guyanese forest certification system submitted for assessment

25 May 2023 PEFC system news

The Guyanese Forest Certification Scheme has been submitted to PEFC for assessment. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this new system, will run from 30 May to 8 July 2023.

This is the first time the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the PEFC national member for Guyana, has submitted its national system to PEFC for endorsement. 

To provide you with additional information about this new national system, we are holding a webinar on 30 May at 14:00 CEST.

The Guyanese national system

The development of the Guyanese national system began in 2019 but was put on pause during the global Covid 19 pandemic. The process re-commenced in 2021 following a national stakeholder scoping workshop which sought the approval of stakeholders to develop the system.

The system underwent two public consultations (60 days and 30 days) as well as an independent desktop assessment and field testing by an independent assessor to determine conformance with PEFC’s key requirements, as well as the auditability of the criteria, indicators, and the non-mandatory verifiers. Final approval of the system was done by the Board of Directors, GFC’s highest decision body, prior to submission to PEFC. 

While a voluntary market-based system, the Guyanese national system has the full support of the Government of Guyana and the key interested and affected sector stakeholders. The system complements Guyana’s key sustainable forest management strategies and its forest management statutory framework. 

The endorsement process

After developing the national system in line with PEFC requirements, the Guyana Forestry Commission submitted the system to PEFC for endorsement. The national system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this process and be approved by the PEFC General Assembly before it can achieve endorsement.

An important aspect of the assessment process is the public consultation. Over the sixty-day consultation, stakeholders from around the world can give their comments and provide feedback on any aspect of the system. The Registered Assessor will use the information received from this consultation in their assessment of the system.