Conformity assessment of UFCS against PEFC (2010).pdf - ITS Global

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Evaluation and assessment of Uruguayan Forest Certification scheme against the requirements of the PEFC Council Not applicable at this time as this is the initial assessment for mutual recognition. Not Applicable 3.5 Overall Assessment The standard setting process for UFCS does not meet PEFC Scheme requirements due to nonconformities associated with i) a lack of evidence to demonstrate environmental nongovernment organisations were formally invited to participate in work of STC-SFM; and ii) the public consultation process for the final draft spanning a period of less than 60 days. Additional commentary is presented below to assist in evaluating the significance of these nonconformities. The first assessed non-conformity relates to the lack of evidence indicating environmental nongovernment organisations were invited to participate in deliberations of STC-SFM. As noted in Field Visit Report (Annex 2) the umbrella ENGO in Uruguay is ‘Group Guayubira’ (www.guayubira.org.uy) which strongly advocates a policy of no expansion of introduced and/or monoculture forest plantations in Uruguay. While Group Guayubira or other environmentally focused non-government organisations did not formally participate in deliberations of STC-SFM, it is noted that many specific issues of concern to ENGOs were discussed and addressed during the development of forest management standards. It is also noted that representatives of Department of Environment (Uruguay) formally participated in deliberations and approvals of forest management standards. On a procedural point the processes used to develop forest management standards (UNIT 1151: 2009) and UNIT 1152: 2009) were approved by UNIT - the internationally recognised national standardization body for developing technical (national) standards in Uruguay. The second non-conformity relates to the announced public consultation process for final draft of forest management standards (UNIT 1151: 2006 and UNIT 1152: 2006) co-ordinated by UNIT spanning a period of 53 days (1 April 2009 to 23 May 2009). This is less than the 60 days consultation period specified by PEFCC (refer to Question 19). The intent of PEFC Uruguay and UNIT was that the formal public consultation period was to be a period of 60 days to meet PEFCC requirements. The reduced public consultation process occurred due to miscommunication in placing media advertisements for period of public consultation. As noted in the response to Question 19, the final draft of forest management standards were available on UNIT’s website from 1 April 2009 to 28 June 2009. Furthermore, letters informing organisations of public consultation for UNIT 1151: 2006 and UNIT 1152: 2006 were forwarded by UNIT on behalf of STC-SFM. www.itsglobal.net Page 22
Evaluation and assessment of Uruguayan Forest Certification scheme against the requirements of the PEFC Council 4. Assessment of the Implementation of the UFCS against PEFCC Requirements Performance requirements for the UFCS are detailed in PEFC Uruguay system documents (SD01 to SD09) and GD02. The UFCS provide for: • Individual Forest Certification for a person or legal entity (organisation) acting as Applicant Entity for forest areas that the applicant manages and voluntarily seeks to include in the certification process; and • Group Forest Certification for forest managers who form a group through a legally constituted Association which is designated as the Applicant Entity. The UFCS also provides for forest managers to be grouped through a legally documented agreement with designated person(s) acting as an Applicant Entity. The requirements for Group Forest Certification are detailed in document SD07. The requirements for Individual Forest Certification are specified in Document GD02 (Section 5.1). The implementation of the UFCS requires the Applicant Entity applying for Forest Management Certification to construct a Forest Management System (referred to as SD03, Section 5.4). The Forest Management System should detail the policies, organisational structure and processes the Applicant Entity is implementing in forests and/or chain of custody to demonstrate compliance with requirements of the UFCS. The Forest Management System also incorporates a requirement for General Plan of Management for forest management units undertaking certification. The General Plan of Management must be constructed consistent with the concept of Sustainable Forest Management, “seeking a balance between the conservation of the natural resources, historiccultural and socio-economic aspects, productivity (technical, economic and financial) and the general society’s well being”. UFCS documentation details the economic, social and environmental goals to be addressed in General Plan of Management. (Refer to GD13, Section 4). The standard (Norm) for sustainable forest management under the UFCS is UNIT 1152: 2009 (refer to GD13)(Sustainable Forest Management. Criteria and Indicators) and supported by UNIT 1151: 2009 (Sustainable Forest Management. Glossary of Terms) (referred to GD12). These were approved by PEFC Uruguay General Assembly on 18 December 2009. The Norm UNIT 1152: 2009 is based on the Montreal Process (“Criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests”), the National (Uruguayan) Code of Good Forestry Practices (2004) and other Uruguayan legislative and regulatory requirements for conducting forestry activities. The forest management standards (UNIT 1151: 2009 and UNIT 1152: 2009) utilize the seven criteria of the Montreal Process to state the outcomes required to demonstrate sustainable forest management for Uruguayan plantation forests. For each Montreal Process criterion the standard for sustainable forest management for the UFCS (UNIT 1152: 2009) specifies indicators – variables which are monitored – to provide evidence of attaining the outcome targeted by criterion. Success in delivering each indicator is evaluated by evidence produced by justification statements (i.e. outlines the importance of the relevant indicator); objective (i.e. output the forest manager is expected to deliver to demonstrate compliance with the indicator); parameters (i.e. framework of variables to be monitored); procedure (i.e. specific actions to implement parameters); documents (i.e. information and records to verify actions); and register (i.e. evaluation from monitoring of parameters that analyse and track degree of compliance in attaining objective and indicator). The UFCS utilizes PEFCC requirements for chain of custody certification as detailed in Annex 4 (Chain of Custody of Forest Based Products – Requirements). www.itsglobal.net Page 23
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Conformity assessment of UFCS against PEFC (2010).pdf - ITS Global

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