PEFC to implement ‘Governance Review’

 The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Council has launched a global ‘Governance Review’, directed by an international panel of experts, the majority of whom are independent of PEFC, and with support from the Z/Yen Group.

The panel, chaired by Lord Jamie Lindsay of United Kingdom Accreditation Service, includes Björn Andrén of Holmen Skog AB, John Dee of Planet Ark, Hans Drielsma of Forestry Tasmania, Dr Maharaj Muthoo of the Hari Environment & Development Society, Frederick O’Regan of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Dirk Teegelbekkers of PEFC Deutschland eV.

Building upon the unanimous adoption of PEFC’s Strategic Plan in October 2007, the Governance Review will focus on a number of important areas:

• making the PEFC organisation more effective
• Ensuring that PEFC’s rules and standards are simple and easy to understand, implement and operate
• Improving external perceptions of PEFC’s governance
• Ensuring that PEFC robustly implements and continuously monitors its own requirements at all levels
• Ensuring ‘buy-in’ from PEFC’s existing stakeholders
• Removing obstacles to dialogue with environmental non-government organisations (ENGOs).

PEFC anticipates the completion of the Governance Review by late spring of this year.