Progress on Certification of the Iwokrama's Forest

Iwokrama has conducted extensive research and planning in sustainable logging operations and is expected to begin harvesting in the Sustainable Utilisation Area (SUA) in October 2006. Sustainable harvesting of the SUA is being demonstrated through forest management certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. Forest certification ultimately requires that the practices in the forest meet high environmental and social standards. Certification often results in access to new markets. Additionally, certification is a marketing tool to customers and there is growing global recognition of good practices by the public and environmental groups. Iwokrama will also have rights to use certification logos on products and promotional materials. Customers are often satisfied that the forest products are being harvested in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

The FSC system requires that an independent third party certification body (accredited by the FSC) assesses the forest management operation against set principles and criteria. This procedure is often known as a forest management audit which entails field visits and interviews and checks with communities, forest workers, relevant authorities and other stakeholder groups. Iwokrama has chosen Woodmark, Soil Association (SA) as the FSC accredited certifier.

Iwokrama will be strictly adhering to meet the standards outlined in the nine (9) FSC principles and criteria for good forest management:

Compliance with Laws and FSC principles Rights and responsibilities relating to land tenure and use Indigenous peoples’ rights Community relations and workers' rights Benefits from the forest Environmental Impacts Management plans Monitoring and assessment Maintenance of high conservation value forest

A focus on Principle 1: Compliance with Laws and FSC principles.
So far, Iwokrama has met the requirements of this principle which are:

FSC Criterion 1.1 
Forest management shall respect all applicable laws of the country in which they occur, and international treaties and agreements to which the country is a signatory, and comply with all FSC Principles and Criteria.

• respect all national and local laws and administrative requirements
• awareness of relevant codes of practice, guidelines or agreements and have in place a mechanism that facilitates access to legal & supporting documents for both operational & regulatory staff.

FSC Criterion 1.2 
All applicable and legally prescribed fees, royalties, taxes and other charges shall be paid.

• Payment of applicable fees, royalties, taxes and other applicable charges.

FSC Criterion 1.3  
In signatory countries, the provisions of all binding international agreements such as CITES, ILO Conventions, ITTA, and Convention on Biological Diversity, shall be respected.

• Forest managers implement appropriate controls to ensure that CITES provisions are respected.
• Forest managers  implement appropriate controls to ensure that ILO provisions are respected
• There is no forced labour or debt bondage
• Forest managers implement appropriate controls to ensure that provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity applicable in their region are respected.
• Forest managers implement appropriate controls to ensure that other appropriate international agreements are respected.

FSC Criterion 1.4 
Conflicts between laws, regulations and the FSC Principles and Criteria shall be evaluated for the purposes of certification, on a case by case basis, by the certifiers and the involved or affected parties.

FSC Criterion 1.5 
Forest management areas should be protected from illegal harvesting, settlement and other unauthorised activities.

• Protect the forest from harvesting activities and other activities not controlled by forest managers or local people with use-rights (e.g. settlement, illegal harvesting, poaching).
• Put systems in place to identify and prevent unauthorised activities which are acceptable to all stakeholders as well as legally applicable.
• Measures are taken to stop illegal or unauthorised uses of the forest.
• Forest management borders are identified in the field and in conflict cases there are written resolution procedures.
• Records are kept of invasion by third parties and the outcomes of resolution procedures.

FSC Criterion  1.6 
Forest managers shall demonstrate a long-term commitment to adhere to the FSC Principles and Criteria.