Indigenous Peoples make up some five per cent of the world’s population – that’s one in twenty of us. Belonging to around 5,000 different groups or communities, Indigenous Peoples usually have (or had) their own language, cultures and traditions, influenced by their ancestral homelands.
Small forest owners and communities are at the heart of FSC. We have launched a number of different initiatives over the last 25 years, and we have achieved a lot. The wealth of knowledge and resources we have built up was harnessed to inform our latest project, launched to look into new and innovative solutions. It is called the New Approaches for Smallholders and Communities Certification project.
FSC has a strong focus on securing workers’ rights by incorporating core labour requirements into its system. These requirements include effective abolition of child labour, elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, respect of freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
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Do you have a story about how FSC certification brought about positive change to your business, government or community? We'd love to hear from you.