Rio Forest Certification Declaration.pdf

The Rio Forest Certification Declaration, launched in 2010, aims to promote sustainable forest management by encouraging forest certification. It is based on the idea that a common set of principles is needed to advance this goal. The declaration recognizes the critical role of forests in providing environmental, social, and economic benefits, and the need for sustainable management that respects the integral nature of the planet and values forest-dependent communities.

The declaration outlines ten principles, including:

1. Human beings at the center: Policies should enhance the quality of life of people who live in or depend on forests, protecting and promoting forest-dependent populations.
2. Respect national sovereignty: States have the right and obligation to develop their own sustainable forest management objectives, and certification systems must respect this.
3. Integrated management plans: Forest certification standards, policies, and guidelines should promote economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just outcomes based on local and national contexts.

The declaration is supported by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), the world's largest forest certification organization. It invites individuals, civil society, businesses, and governments to support the declaration by signing it. The signatures will be presented at the 2012 Rio Earth Summit.