FSC’s Latin America and Caribbean members call for suspension of Myanmar’s certification system

Members from the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) Latin America and Caribbean region have issued a strong letter to their International Board of Directors, expressing deep concern over the decision taken at the November 2023 FSC Board Meeting regarding Myanmar. The letter, issued last 15 January 2024, emphasised the urgent need for the suspension of the FSC certification system in Myanmar, citing the Board's failure to address the Building and Wood Workers' International's (BWI) repeated requests and information submissions since March 2021.

The letter echoes BWI’s concern that Chain of Custody (COC) certificates “had been issued at the height of military junta violation of workers and trade union rights.” It raised concerns about the Secretariat's apparent failure to conduct a thorough evaluation of the situation. Transparency is sought regarding the Certification Bodies (CBs) responsible for auditing in Myanmar, and whether they have been mandated to provide pertinent information from their audits.

Highlighting FSC International's handling of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Commission on Inquiry Report, the letter stressed the need for clarity and expressed dismay at the perceived incompleteness of the report. FSC's Latin America and Caribbean members call attention to the Board's lack of response to BWI’s e-mails and its failure to follow up on commitments made during the July meeting in India, asserting that FSC's continued operations in Myanmar risk damaging the organisation's institutional integrity.

The letter also urges the FSC International Board to convene “a virtual meeting as soon as possible, and take the decision without further delay” rather than wait for the next scheduled meeting in March. The Latin America and Caribbean members emphasised the need for a swift decision to suspend FSC certification in Myanmar, asserting the gravity of the country’s appalling labour rights situation, and the need for FSC to take a principled stance against human rights violations and environmental concerns in the region. The letter stands as a unified call for decisive action from FSC's Latin America and Caribbean members, awaiting a substantive response from the International Board.