Natural Resources and Violent Conflict - WaterWiki.net

116 crossin, hayman, and taylorBox 4.1Independent Validation of Legal TimberA stepwise, pragmatic approach is proposed to address the problems ofillegal logging through the compulsory independent validation of legaltimber, while providing a link or possibly integration with voluntarycertification of sustainable forest management.To illustrate this approach, a system of labeling sustainable timberis suggested in three steps: (a) timber from a legal origin, (b) validatedlegal timber, and (c) sustainably produced timber. Each step is conditionalon a certificate issued independently by an accredited third-partyverifier or certifier at different stages of the process.The certificate of legal origin is the result of the successful verification—essentially through implementation of a log-tracking system—that thelogs or timber products (a) were legally purchased from the rightfulowner and have legally been sold and transferred down the chain ofcustody to the point of reference of the certificate and (b) conform tonational or international product-specific regulations such as protectedspecies or minimum diameters. The system would also periodicallyverify that duties have been paid and that allowed volumes of cutor quotas have been respected. Past, unsettled lack of compliancemay block the whole process. In the suggested labeling system, compliantlogs and timber products could be labeled as timber from a legalorigin.The certificate of legal compliance is awarded where forest managementis found compliant with specified national legislation and regulationsincluding the terms of the concession agreement or permit. Thisessentially refers to the preparation and implementation of the managementand harvesting plans, including the forest inventories. Logs or timberproducts already certified as from a legal origin at this stage couldbe labeled as validated legal timber if the certificate of legal origin forthe timber can be linked with a certificate of legal compliance for theforest yielding the timber.The certificate of sustainable forest management refers to the certificateawarded or maintained as a result of successful auditing of forestmanagement against the principles, criteria, and indicators of an internationalforest certification scheme such as that of the Forest StewardshipCouncil. It is suggested that logs or timber products already certifiedas being from a legal origin and originating from a forest certifiedboth as legally compliant and, at this stage, sustainably managed couldbe labeled as sustainably produced timber. A certificate of chain of custodyissued under the forest certification scheme would not be enoughto replace a certificate of legal origin, whose scope is wider and which isbased on advanced log-tracking systems.