FSC takes strong actions in Myanmar

FSC International will not withdraw from Myanmar according to a decision taken by the Board of Directors in March 2024 at the 98^th Board Meeting. Further, in accordance with their decision, new certificates will not be issued in the country unless FSC’s core labour requirements are diligently implemented and audited.

FSC International’s Board also agreed to suspend the Trademark License Agreement (TLA) of all certificate holders managed by Bureau Veritas (an accredited certification body) in Myanmar.

At the 98^th Board Meeting, the FSC International Board of Directors reviewed the findings of two FSC-commissioned investigations conducted by FSC’s assurance partner, Assurance Services International (ASI). Investigations carried out by ASI in 2023 revealed the following:

• Workers’ conditions in certificate holders are no better than those in non-certified companies.
• Certification bodies are not adequately assessing certificate holders’ compliance with labour requirements.
• Certificate holders have been issued with non-conformities with respect to freedom of association, protection of workers’ rights to organize, and forced labour.
• Two certificate holders self-terminated their certification after receiving ASI’s request for an assessment.
• One certification body withdrew their certification activities from Myanmar because they were unable to conduct audits to check for conformity with FSC’s core labour requirements.

The Board also took into consideration the findings of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO’s) Commission of Inquiry into the situation in Myanmar with respect to two of the Core Labour Conventions referenced in FSC’s core labour requirements. These pertain to the freedom of association and the protection of workers’ right to organize (Convention 87) and the prevention of forced labour (Convention 29).

The Board has requested FSC to work with ASI to implement the following measures*:

• Follow up on its investigations in Myanmar based on earlier findings that FSC standards were not adequately implemented by some certificate holders.
• Conduct assessments of the certification bodies currently operating in Myanmar within the next 6 months and ensure appropriate follow up.

The Board will retain the option of suspending relevant TLAs in case ASI’s upcoming assessments reveal similar performance issues within the certification system in Myanmar.

Further, the Board has mandated FSC International to strengthen social auditing performance by certification bodies through normative changes and to bolster the system of quality assessment of ASI’s investigations.

FSC has been regularly reviewing the status and relevance of FSC certification in Myanmar under the challenging political circumstances. Acknowledging the threat posed to the integrity of the system, especially the violation of workers’ rights, the Board has provided FSC directions on finding a way to stay relevant in the country without compromising on the core tenets of FSC’s certification system.

*As of June 2024, the implementation of the measures requested by the Board are underway.