17 November 2010, PEFC news - "Expectations and understanding of best practice in sustainable forest management have evolved over the past years. It is therefore the responsibility of PEFC as the world's largest forest certification organization to integrate these changes into its international Sustainability Benchmarks," said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC Secretary General. "Social rights were not well recognized in forest certification ten years ago, therefore with the inclusion of the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights and the ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, social, environmental and economic considerations are now better balanced."

The revision process included representatives from forest owners, environmental groups, trade unions, indigenous people, industry, customers and the scientific community, with stakeholders reaching consensus on the revised requirements for sustainable forest management after two years of deliberations.

"The opportunities that forest certification provides in improving and verifying sustainable forest management are enormous," explained Mr. Gunneberg. "However, with the vast majority of the world's certified forests located in the Global North, there has been a real need to also revisit forest certification requirements in detail to ensure their applicability in countries with less favorable governance and administrative structures. These countries are predominately found in the tropics, in Asia, South America and Africa – regions in which arguably the most vulnerable forests are located, in which the potential of forest management to lift people out of poverty is greatest, and in which social rights are of utmost importance."

The revised standard remains rooted in globally recognized intergovernmental, multi-stakeholder processes and guidelines, with additional and modified requirements responding to changing stakeholder expectations and clarifying the interpretation of specific aspects. The standard includes provisions concerning:

·        Recognition of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights, and ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples

·        Provisions for consultation with local people and stakeholders

·        Respect for property and land tenure rights as well as customary and traditional rights

·        Compliance with all fundamental ILO conventions

·        Requirements for occupational health and safety

·        Encouragement of local employment

·        Prohibition of forest conversions

·        Protection of ecologically important forest areas

·        Prohibition of the most hazardous chemicals

·        Prohibition of genetically modified trees

·        Exclusion of certification of plantations established by conversions

·        Adherence to all applicable laws

Asked about his opinion of the revised standard, Professor Maharaj Muthoo, President of the Roman Forum and former Executive Director of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), commented that "PEFC was the first and is still the only global forest certification system where compliance with all the fundamental ILO conventions is mandatory in sustainable forest management everywhere. PEFC's inclusion of additional social criteria, robust recognition of indigenous people rights, and the evolution of requirements on environmental aspects make this standard the leading sustainable forest management standard globally."