FSC has a long history of presence and development in Ukraine, starting with the initiative to develop voluntary standards within this international certification system in 2003 and further with the opening of the office of FSC National Representative in Ukraine in 2015. Currently, a new stage of institutional strengthening of FSC is underway with the formation of FSC Ukraine's Advisory Committee.
The unprecedented and extraordinary challenges to responsible forest management and supply chain integrity have necessitated strengthening the basic principles of FSC's functioning in the country. The association of stakeholders with different interests, yet sharing common values of balanced use, conservation, and protection of forests, is a powerful driving force for progressive changes in sustainable production practices. This newest mechanism for creating strategic proposals for decision-making at the level of FSC International has now been implemented in Ukraine. The Advisory Committee is aimed at strengthening support for FSC's mission in regions or countries.
The principles of ensuring a balanced representation of ecological, economic and social interests in relation to forests, forestry and the forest sector in general, commitment to FSC values - all these are the criteria on the basis of which the personal composition of the FSC Ukraine's Advisory Committee was formed (see here).
In his welcome speech, Stewart Valintine, Chairman of FSC Board, emphasized: "I am honored to invite you to join the FSC Ukraine's Advisory Committee. Each of you represents an important part of Ukraine's society, business and culture. It is important for us, the Board members, to hear your balanced proposals that will contribute to the development and effective implementation of FSC strategy in Ukraine".
Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General, said: "Through our newest mechanism, FSC Advisory Committees, we are helping to unleash the energy and commitment of opinion leaders and the forest sector to make change happen, to make forests more sustainable and ensure that their true value is recognized by society and reflected in decision-making at all levels".
The key task of the Advisory Committee is to help shape FSC development strategy in Ukraine. It is expected that the proposals of the Advisory Committee will contribute to the implementation of FSC Global Strategy and co-creation of solutions in the forest sector. The members of the Advisory Committee will act as strong advocates and drivers of FSC development in the country, which will help to increase coherence and integrity in interaction and, as a result, achieve a synergistic effect in building a solid foundation for sustainable forest management and functioning of the forest sector.
The inaugural meeting ended with the formation of the governing body of the FSC Ukraine's Advisory Committee. Sergiy Zibtsev, FSC International Member, Head of the Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center, Professor of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, was elected as the Committee's Chairman by a majority of votes in each of the chambers (environmental, economic and social). Following the same procedure, Marine Elbakidze, a leading researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and associate professor at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, was elected as co-chair
A new page in the development of FSC in Ukraine has been opened. FSC Ukraine's team gained nine motivated and committed professionals.