The PCI Working Group is established

The Board of Directors approved the composition of the chamber-balanced Working Group to draft FSC’s Principles & Criteria and International Generic Indicators. This milestone formally launches the revision to the next stage: drafting FSC’s core forest management requirements.

Meet the Working Group 

The Working Group brings together six FSC members from across the social, environmental, and economic chambers of the FSC membership, with equal representation from both the Global South and Global North. The sub-chamber composition reflects FSC’s commitment to ensure that the new standards represent the full diversity of the people and forests they affect.

Experts and chairperson 

The following non-voting experts will support the Working Group in achieving its objectives and provide input on the content of specific topics. A non-voting chairperson has also been selected to identify areas of agreement and ensure FSC’s Code of Conduct is respected in all Working Group interactions.

Three Board Liaisons — one from each chamber — and one liaison from the Policy and Standards Committee (PSC) will facilitate the provision of strategic guidance to the Working Group from the Board and the PSC. A facilitator will also support discussions and facilitate working group meetings.

Fresh perspectives: Observers  join the process 

The revision will also benefit from the presence of youth observers from IFSA (the International Forestry Students' Association) as well as an independent researcher. Both will participate in Working Group meetings in a non-voting observer capacity, bringing new perspectives and helping to connect this process to the next generation of forest stewardship leaders.

Guiding the work: Terms of Reference

The final Terms of Reference - the document that defines the scope and parameters of the Working Group's mandate - have also been approved and are available at: 

ToR Revision PCI | Principles and Criteria

Consultation Report: Conceptual phase

The consultation report provides an overview of stakeholder feedback received during the conceptual phase consultation of the revision of the PCI. 

PCI Consultation Report Conceptual Phase | Principles and Criteria

Consultative Forums: Broadening the conversation

To support the Working Group, four consultative forums will be formed to be consulted for input on specific topics throughout the revision. The Consultative Forums include:

• Forest Managers
• Indigenous Peoples
• Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs)
• Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

These forums are an important bridge between the Working Group and the broader FSC community. They will ensure that the expertise and lived experience of key stakeholder groups are woven into the revision from the start. Sign up to join a Consultative Forum to join the conversation. Stay informed on the revision at the PCI Hub: https://pci.fsc.org/.