FSC Remedy Framework wins board approval; effective from July 1, it affects organizations that have violated FSC policies, and/or have been disassociated, and those seeking forestry certification for land converted between Dec. 1, 1994 and Dec. 31, 2020

February 21, 2023 (press release) –

The Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) Board of Directors approved the FSC Remedy Framework (FSC-PRO-01-007), in consensus, at a virtual meeting on 14 December 2022. With this approval, the FSC Remedy Framework will be published in March becomes effective from 1 July 2023.  

The FSC Remedy Framework is a set of requirements for remedying past social and environmental harms. The remedy requirements are aligned with the provisions of the Policy for Association, version 2 and the Policy to Address Conversion.  

This framework applies to: 

• Organizations who have violated the Policy for Association, version 2 and wish to become associated with FSC. 
• Organizations who have been disassociated from FSC and wish to become eligible for re-association. 
• Organizations who wish to gain forest management certification for land that was converted between 1 December 1994 and 31 December 2020. 

Some of the key features of the Remedy Framework are: 

• Two types of requirements to ensure that site level harms are addressed, as well as system level transformations are made (by corporate groups who wish to associate with FSC) to prevent recurrence. 
• Identification of stakeholders and rightsholders. 
• Inclusive and participatory dialogue processes leading to agreements on remedy actions. 
• Best practice justifications of selected remedy actions. 
• Key roles in the remedy process for independent, third-party, and/or expert involvement.  
• The proper application of Right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). 
• Development of grievance mechanisms compliant with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  

Motion 37/2021 and Motion 45/2021, approved by members at the 9th FSC General Assembly, were critical to FSC membership approving changes in the FSC system that enable remedy for past conversion and ensuring a robust Remedy Framework. For more information, click here.  

Due to alignment updates required by the new Policy for Association, version 3 and non-eligibility for certification of land converted after 31 December 2020, FSC is developing an edited version of the Remedy Framework (FSC-PRO-01-004). FSC-PRO-01-004 will be applicable on remedy required for unacceptable activities that occur after 1 January 2023 and it will be presented to the FSC Board of Directors for approval in March 2023.  

FSC thanks all members and stakeholders for their involvement in numerous consultations and discussions leading to the approved version of the FSC Remedy Framework.  

For more information about the timeline of events related to the development and implementation of the FSC Remedy Framework (FSC-PRO-01-007), see here.  

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