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Certificaton page
RESOLUTION OF THE CONFERENCE
«FOREST CERTIFICATION
AND SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE NORTH OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA»
2-4 February, 2000 Syktyvkar, the Komi Republic, Russia
From 2 to 4 February 2000 the international scientific-practical conference of Russian forest sector representatives from Moscow, St.-Petersburg, the Arkhangelsk, Moscow, Leningrad, Gorkky, Novgorod, Pskov, Kirov, Vologda, Novosibirsk Oblasts, Republics of Komi, Kareliya, Mariy-El, and the Altai, Krasnoyarsk, Primorsky, Khabarovsk Regions was held in Syktyvkar. Foreign experts from Germany, Sweden, Finland, USA, Georgia, Estonia also participated in the conference (the list of the organizations - participants is enclosed).
The conference was organized by Government of the Komi Republic, the World Wide Fund for Nature - Komi Project Office, Working Group for Forest Certification in the Komi Republic, Institute of Biology of the Komi Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Science, with the financial support from John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation. Russian participants of the conference represented federal and regional governmental agencies, forest and woodprocessing industries, consulting firms, non-governmental social organizations from the North of European Russia, Siberia and Far East. Foreign participants represented FSC accredited auditing companies, National Working Groups for Forest Certification, timber industry firms, scientific-research institutes, governmental and banking establishments. Participants of the conference heard out 27 reports and talked over topical problems during round table discussions:
1. "Significance of Voluntary Certification for Strengthening Economic Ties of Forest Sector Enterprises in Russia and the European Union"
2. "Requirements of Voluntary Certification in Russia: The First Experience and Possibilities to Meet Demands in Northern European Conditions "
3. "Social Priorities for Voluntary Certification in Russia"
As a result of round table discussions and exchange of opinions it was noted that:
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The voluntary forest certification according to the FSC system is becoming the reality in Russia, the first experience of conducting such a certification in the Altay Region and in the Komi Republic has shown its practical applicability and great potential for sustainable forest management development;
- The principles and criteria of voluntary forest certification according to the FSC system comply with "The Concept of Sustainable Development of Russian Federation "; the procedures of voluntary certification do not contradict Russian legislation;
- At the initial stage of the certification process development, the experience of Model Forests is of great importance, as well as initiation and support of this process by stakeholder companies and auditing firms;
- The voluntary certification is an important tool for marketing forest products in the western ecological markets; prospects of Russian timber export, meeting the requirements of consumers, in many respects will depend on availability of the certificate.
- The adherence to the principles of voluntary forest certification according to the FSC system allows to improve forest management, social and environmental aspects of forest use on regional and local levels, helps to protect the rights and interests of the forest sector workers, indigenous and rural population in the forest regions of Russia;
- At the moment the weak points of developing voluntary forest certification in Russia are:
1. Lack of information about the situation in the international markets of forest products and prospects of development of the voluntary forest certification process in the world among forest products consumers and manufacturers, regional and local governmental bodies and institutions of local governing;
2. Weak economic motivation of the forest industry enterprises for conducting certification;
3. Insufficient activity of regional and local state forest management agencies in preparing and conducting a voluntary certification.
- The present-day level of forest management development in Russia is sufficient for preparing and introducing the voluntary certification according to the FSC system;
- It is expedient to support the WWF- Russian Program Office initiative on creating the Association of Ecologically Responsible Forest Industry Representatives of Russia.
Participants of the conference make the following suggestions:
1. To Russian and foreign forest products consumers and manufacturers, "buyers groups", auditing and consulting firms:
- to regularly distribute information about "buyers groups" and importers' requirements regarding voluntary forest certification by FSC system among Russian forest products suppliers;
- to give organizational, consulting and financial support to the forest industry enterprises, working on the territory of Russia, in preparing and conducting forest certification.
2. To the Federal Forest Service, Ministry of Economy, All-Union State Standard of Russia:
- to give support to national, regional working groups for forest certification, Forest Certification Centers in the Novgorod Oblast and Khabarovsk Region in development, approbation and introduction of the voluntary forest certification;
- to use the experience of first certifications in the "Priluzye" Model Forest in the Komi Republic and in the Altai Region for harmonizing international systems of voluntary forest management certification and national regulations of mandatory forest certification;
- to give the 'Priluzye" Model Forest the status of an experimental leskhoz.
3. To the Federal and Regional governmental bodies and institutions of local governing:
- to render every kind of assistance in introduction of voluntary forest certification, formation and activities of regional working groups for forest certification and Forest Certification Centers;
- to give support to the forest industry enterprises in the certification process, for the purpose of introducing principles of sustainable forest management.
4. To the international charitable organizations and foundations:
- to coordinate efforts and to keep on supporting national and regional working groups, Forest Certification Centers and projects on practical introduction of forest certification in Russia.
5. To the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development:
- to constantly cooperate with national and regional groups for certification in implementing the "Sustainable Forest Management in Russian Federation " project, as regards the forest certification development.
6. To the national and regional working groups, WWF, Greenpeace-Russia, Center of Wildlife Conservation, Socio-ecological Union, and other Russian social organizations:
- to prepare and publish practical manuals on sustainable forest management and forest certification at the earliest possible dates;
- to initiate the work on creating the network of domestic FSC-accredited auditors;
- to coordinate the activity with regional and national working groups, Forest Certification Centers;
- the Coordination Council of the national working group should draw up an estimate, determine the composition of the working group on development of the national system for assessing sustainable forest management;
7. To the scientific-research, educational institutions:
- to actively participate in development of the legislative documents on sustainable forest management and forest use, forest certification, include training courses on these subjects into curriculums.
8. To the WWF «Priluzye» Model Forest Project and to the SmartWood Program:
- to inform all stakeholders about the results of the test certification of the "Priluzye" Model Forest.
Participants of the conference express their thanks to the organizers for good preparation, organization and holding of the conference.
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