Apply for the working group revising FSC’s complaints and appeals procedures

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is seeking candidates for a working group to revise its complaints and appeals procedures. The call for applicants is open until 12 July 2024.

The working group will comprise of four (4) members who will be selected based on the following criteria:

Experience in:

• Developing operational non-judicial grievance and remediation mechanisms.
• Managing complicated dispute cases.
• Implementing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Managing human rights and socio-environmental sustainability due diligence processes
• Using the FSC complaints system or other relevant complaints systems as a party to a complaint.

Knowledge in:

• FSC’s normative framework, in particular its certification standards, Policy for Association, Remedy Framework, as well as the complaints mechanisms of the various actors in FSC’s certification system.
• Measures to ensure equal access to complaints mechanisms according to the needs and challenges faced by users, in particular local forest communities and Indigenous Peoples.
• The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• Best practices on grievance and remediation mechanisms, including the establishment and use of ombuds services.

FSC launched the joint revision of the complaints and appeals procedures (FSC-PRO-01-008 V2-0 and FSC-PRO-01-005 V3-0) in June 2023. The objectives of this joint revision process are:

• Develop a simplified, easily accessible and effective complaints and appeals procedure.
• Ensure an appropriate balance between the lowest level principle and independence.
• Align with FSC’s normative requirements.
• Update the procedures in line with international best practices on complaint mechanisms.

As a part of the conceptual phase of the revision process, FSC conducted a public consultation between 1 October – 30 November 2023. The results of the consultation can be accessed here.

For more information about this revision process, check out the process page on the FSC website here.

How to apply

Please refer to the Terms of Reference here: https://connect.fsc.org/media/tor-revision-complaints-and-appeals

Candidates are invited to fill in the application form and send it with their CV to Mario G. Aguilera, Disputes Manager (System Integrity Unit) at m.aguilera@fsc.org, by 12 July 2024.