Newsletter Stories


Thursday, 10 August 2017
2017 FSC General Assembly in Vancouver, BC

GeneralAssembly-FSC-GD (© FSC GD)© FSC GD

August 11, 2017


The 8th triennial FSC General Assembly will take place on October 8-13, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia. As a member-led organization, the General Assembly is our highest decision-making body, offering an opportunity for members from around the world to propose motions, gather, debate and ultimately vote on the organization’s governance, policies and changes to standards.

The detailed agenda, including the schedule of side meetings, is now available on the General Assembly website. Registration is also currently open.

To assist US-based members in preparing for the General Assembly, FSC US staff and the Board of Directors will coordinate national chamber and cross-chamber conference calls, connect members with their global chamber dialogue, and further clarify motion priorities across the entire membership in the US, as a follow-up from the July 11 meeting of members based in the U.S.

Given the extensive integration between the forest products industry in the US and Canada, the 2017 FSC General Assembly offers an excellent opportunity for US-based stakeholders to engage with FSC members over a wide range of issues. For certified companies, NGOs, tribes and governments that are not currently members but are interested in having a voice in the FSC system, we encourage you to consider becoming a member in advance of the General Assembly. Read more about membership.

In addition, observers are allowed to participate in the General Assembly, with some limitations. For example, observers can attend the conference sessions and side meetings but may not vote on motions.

FSC is also inviting companies with a public preference for FSC to sign “The Vancouver Declaration” in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and FSC certification, which will be launched at the General Assembly. With the Declaration, FSC is working to give forest owners a strong signal from the demand side of the market. Companies such as IKEA, Otto Group, and H&M have already signed on.

If you are interested in becoming a signatory, please contact Brad Kahn (b.kahn@us.fsc.org).

For more information about the FSC General Assembly, please visit the 2017 FSC General Assembly website for more information.