1. South Africa
Draft 2 of the National Forest Stewardship Standard will be used as the basis for field testing in large, medium and small grower contexts, scheduled in September 2016.
Four Standard Development Group (SDG) meetings and two drafting committee meetings were held between December 2014 and July 2016.
The SDG created and officially registered by the Policy and Standards Unit (PSU) in March 2014.
Work started on IGIs transfer in December 2014.
Consultations with recognised specialists in March - November 2015.
First draft NFSS (draft 1.0) produced in January 2016.
Consultation (round 1) on first draft NFSS (draft 1.0) done between January to May 2016.
Second draft NFSS (draft 2.0) to be produced in August 2016.
Field test of the second draft NFSS (draft 2.0) to be carried out in September 2016.
Production of draft 3.0 of the NFSS is scheduled for October 2016. However, the submission of the pre-approval draft to PSU is scheduled for March 2017 after the stakeholder consultations (round 2) are considered.
2. Uganda
Presentation of the Pre-Approval Draft NFSS to Policy and Standard Unit (PSU).
Building from the field testing stage of the second draft that was done by Soil Association/Wood Mark in December 2015, the SDG in Uganda reviewed their work plan early this year in preparation for the pre- approval draft.
We are happy to report that the Uganda NFSS was officially submitted to PSU for pre-approval on the 15th of July 2016.
3. Tanzania
Update on the Tanzania NFSS Process.
Consultation Process
At the start of 2016, Tanzania SDG embarked on a consultation process where stakeholders’ views and inputs from four regional meetings were integrated into a first draft of the National Forest Stewardship Standard (NFSS).
Field testing
Field tests of the second draft version of the National FSC Forest Management Standard was conducted from 20-27 June 2016 in the Southern highlands Iringa Region, and with a Group Community Forest management unit in the Coastal Lindi Region. Field visits to forest plantations and natural forests were carried out where discussions with forestry field staff, forest managers and village leaders were held.
The field testing made an objective and realistic assessment of the draft national standard and assisted the Standard Development Group to clarify a number of controversial or obscure issues in the process of development of the document. A Standard Development Group (SDG) meeting was held on the 28th and 29th of July in Dar es Salaam to review and integrate comments from the field testing in preparation for a second round of consultations.
The aforementioned second consultation process is scheduled to be held from mid-August to mid-October 2016.
4. Cameroon
Field test of the Draft 1 of the National Forest Stewardship Standard conducted and Draft 2 to be ready by December ending 2016.
Five SDG meetings and one drafting committee meeting were held between March 2015 and June 2016.
SDG created and officially registered by PSU between March and April 2015.
Work started on IGIs transfer in June 2015.
First draft NFSS (draft 0) produced in September 2015.
Consultation on first draft NFSS (draft 0) done between January and March 2016.
Second draft NFSS (draft 1) produced in April 2016.
Integration of SLIMF and FLEGT legality grid indicators and verifiers in May 2016 (draft 1-1).
Production of draft 2 of the NFSS will occur in December 2016 but submission of pre-approval draft to PSU may be delayed awaiting the integration of IFL indicators.
5. Republic of Congo (Brazzaville)
Field test of the Draft 1 of the National Forest Stewardship Standard conducted and Draft 2 to be ready by December ending 2016.
Six SDG meetings and two drafting committee meetings were held between March 2015 and June 2016.
SDG created and officially registered by PSU between March and May 2015.
Start of work on IGIs transfer in June 2015.
First draft of the NFSS (draft 0) produced September 2015.
Consultation on draft 0 of the NFSS done between December 2015 and February 2016.
Second draft of the NFSS (draft 1) produced in March 2016.
Integration of FLEGT legality grid indicators and verifiers done on the 14th of June 2016 (draft 1-1).
Production of draft 2 of the NFSS will happen in December 2016 but submission of pre-approval draft to PSU may only happen by March ending 2017 after the integration of IFL indicators.
6. Gabon
Second draft NFSS will soon be ready for field testing in September 2016.
Five SDG meetings were held from the June 2015 to June 2016.
SDG created and officially registered by PSU between March and May 2015.
Start of work on IGIs transfer in June 2015.
First draft of the NFSS (draft 0) produced February 2016.
Consultation on draft 0 of the NFSS done between March and May 2016.
Second draft (draft 1) of the NFSS ready for testing to be produced in July 2016.
Field testing of draft 1 of the NFSS planned for September 2016.
Production of draft 2 of the NFSS shall happen in January 2016 but submission of pre-approval draft to PSU may only happen by March ending 2017 after the integration of IFL indicators.
7. Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Five SDG meetings held from March 2015 to June 2016, and a first draft of NFSS will be produced soon.
SDG created and officially registered by PSU between March and May 2015.
Start of work on IGIs transfer in June 2015.
Consensus met on the indicators of seven principles up to date.
Production of first draft NFSS (draft 0) planned for September 2016.
Production of a second draft (draft 1) of the NFSS ready for testing may only happen by the end of December 2016.
FLEGT Legality Grids within FSC National Standards Development Process
After a detailed analysis completed with the support of the FSC CBO, the SDGs of Cameroon and the Republic of Congo have completely incorporated the indicators and verifiers of the FLEGT legality grids into the forest tested drafts of their NFSS. This action according to the SDGs, will have insured full compliance of the new FSC NFSSs with the VPA requirements for both countries.