Thursday, 01 December 2005
FSC International Communit Convenes for General Assembly
FSC Members From Around the WOrld Gather in Brazil
Representatives from more than 60 countries, including organizations such as Greenpeace and WWF; the Brazilian governments; international companies such as IKEA and The Home Depot; and academic institutions, gathered in Manaus, Brazil, earlier this month to debate strategic initiatives to improve forest management worldwide over the coming years.
The FSC General Assembly is the highest decision making body in the FSC system, and is responsible for revising statutes, by-laws, and the Principles and Criteria under which FSC operates. Members of the social, environmental and economic FSC membership chambers come together at this meeting every three years to define the future of the world's forests. This was the fourth General Assembly in FSC’s history.
Roger Dower, president of FSC-US, noted that among total attendance of more than 250, there was strong representation of FSC members from the U.S., including all three membership chambers.
“This is a unique opportunity for FSC members to decide what policies and standards can be implemented to make a difference in preserving forest around the world,” said Heiko Liedeker, FSC executive director. “FSC is proving once again that participation, balanced representation and equal power to vote are a powerful strategy to bring people together, find solutions and promote responsible stewardship of the forests.”
The General Assembly program included a key note address by José Saramago (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998), strategy sessions, voting on motions, and side sessions on various topics such as forest certification research, issues surrounding plantations, and social strategies. There were also several field trips planned to visit local communities where FSC certification has been applied.
A summary of motions that were passed will be included in next month’s FSC-US News & Views.