Implementing the Remedy Framework – Addressing challenges one step at a time

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is paving the way for companies to address past environmental and social harms in their forestry operations through the FSC Remedy Framework. The Remedy Framework is the first of its kind in the forestry sector, opening the door to restore millions of hectares of forests and bring restitution to thousands of communities.  

The implementation of the Remedy Framework supports companies to restore and heal degraded forest landscapes through a structured and transparent process, and make amends and rebuild trust with impacted communities. With the completion of a remedy process, companies previously excluded from the FSC system will become eligible for association and certification with FSC.  

FSC is committed to continuous learning and acknowledges there are still improvements and supporting systems needed to ensure the integrity of the process and the quality of remedy outcomes.  FSC is working towards addressing these challenges transparently and constructively, while staying true to the principles that guide this work. 

FSC acknowledges the recent report by the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), Challenges for the FSC Remedy Framework Social Baseline Assessment Process. We appreciate FPP’s continued engagement in the implementation of the FSC Remedy Framework by Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd. (APRIL). 

Progress on social baseline assessments 

In APRIL’s remedy process, FSC has engaged  Remark Asia, an independent third-party organization, to conduct social baseline assessments,  a critical step in the remedy process. These assessments are designed to identify harms caused by past operations. 

FPP’s report mentions that there is low awareness about FSC and the Remedy Framework amongst the nine communities they interacted with across North Sumatra, Riau, and East Kalimantan, and concerns about the integrity of the social baseline assessment process.  

Since field-based social baseline assessments have not yet been conducted in Riau and East Kalimantan, it is expected that communities in those regions may not yet be familiar with FSC or the Remedy Framework. Where awareness does exist, it reflects proactive outreach by  APRIL and FSC Indonesia. 

It is important to clarify that APRIL’s participation in the remedy process is only a step toward becoming eligible for association with FSC in the future. It does not imply guaranteed certification with FSC. 

Ensuring community consent 

A cornerstone of the Remedy Framework is the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). According to the Remedy Framework, independent verification of all social baseline assessments plays a key role in ensuring that the necessary processes to obtain FPIC from the impacted communities within  APRIL’s remedy process scope are followed. Once the baseline assessments in APRIL’s remedy process are completed, a third-party organization will verify whether Remark Asia met the FPIC requirements set in the Remedy Framework. 

Consequences of halting APRIL’s remedy process 

FSC has clear criteria for halting a remedy process. These include situations: 

• when the remedy client is in breach of the terms of the remedy agreement with FSC 
• if FSC were to conclude new violations of the Policy for Association committed by the remedy client 
• when the remedy client voluntarily terminates its agreement with FSC. 

FPP’s request for FSC to stop APRIL’s remedy process is based on brief interviews with nine communities, only five of which are in an identified impact area documented as part of a FSC remedy process.   Halting other communities’ access to remedy would have profound impacts on numerous communities that want to engage in remedy.    

As part of the Remedy Framework, APRIL has a grievance mechanism to address grievances related to their remedy process. Communities who are concerned that they have not been properly accounted for in the independent assessment may submit a grievance to have this concern registered and processed.    

Commitment to learning and improvement 

FSC remains committed to remedy and to a continuous learning process to ensure that engagement and assessments with rights holders continue to improve.  FSC is building systems to create an environment that facilitates a robust and verified process for implementing the Remedy Framework. We are also listening and learning from the experiences and expertise of organizations who work on the ground in the regions where the Remedy Framework is being implemented.  

With the FSC Remedy Forum, FSC is creating a space for dialogue and knowledge sharing by bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders involved and interested in the implementation of the Remedy Framework. Our commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and collaboration is an ongoing endeavour and we invite stakeholders to join us in this journey – facing challenges, learning from them, and moving forward together.