The FSC Board of Directors has decided to seek a system-wide solution to ensure that all FSC certificate holders uphold workers’ rights by complying with the principles of the ILO core conventions, and with its Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). This solution should deliver a set of generic criteria and suggested indicators that are applicable to all FSC-certified organizations.

The report not only contains the criteria and indicators, but also a set of verifiers to test their auditability, and to inform discussion. A desk-based impact assessment of the process of introducing auditable requirements based on the principles of the ILO core conventions into FSC standards is included as a separate document.

For the convenience of our stakeholders – and to provide additional explanation on the background, intent and meaning of some of the criteria and indicators – the report also includes guidance notes, presented in boxes below the draft requirements.

At a later date, the set of generic criteria and suggested indicators will be translated into auditable requirements and incorporated into the relevant normative documents across the FSC system. Separate working groups for this task will be established, most likely in 2017, and there will also be another public consultation.

To achieve balanced stakeholder participation, we encourage FSC members from all three chambers, certificate holders, and certification bodies to submit their comments. They are invited to provide their comments either by responding to a survey, or through using a comments form, which can be found here.