Principle 4: Community Relations
The Organization* shall* contribute to maintaining or enhancing the social and economic wellbeing of local communities*.
Criterion 4.1
The Organization* shall* identify the local communities* that exist within the Management Unit* and those that are affected by management activities. The Organization* shall* then, through engagement* with these local communities*, identify their rights of tenure*, their rights of access to and use of forest resources and ecosystem services*, their customary rights* and legal* rights and obligations, that apply within the Management Unit*. (New)
Indicator 4.1.1
Local communities* that exist in the Management Unit* and those that may be affected by management activities are identified.
Verifiers 4.1.1
a. Procedure for identifying local communities
b. Evidence of identified local communities
Indicator 4.1.2
Through culturally appropriate* engagement* with the local communities* identified in 4.1.1, the following are documented and/or mapped:
Verifiers 4.1.2
1. Their legal and customary rights of tenure*
a.Evidence of local community engagement
b. Evidence on stakeholder consultations
c. Maps
2. Their legal and customary access to, and use rights* of the forest* resources and ecosystem services*
a. Evidente ale implicarii comunitatilor locale*
b. Evidence on stakeholder consultations
c. Internal Procedures
3. Their legal and customary rights and obligations that apply.
a. Evidence of local community engagement
b. Evidence on stakeholder consultations
4. The evidence supporting these rights and obligations
a. Legal proof of the rights (e.g. Ownership title, lease or cession contracts, maps etc.)
5. Areas where rights are contested between local communities *, governments and/or others.
a. Maps
b. Court of justice documents
6. Summary of the means by which the legal* and customary rights*, and contested rights are addressed by The Organization*
a. Internal procedure
7. The aspirations and goals of local communities* related to management activities
a. Internal procedure
b. Evidence on stakeholder consultations
Criterion 4.2
The Organization* shall* recognize and uphold* the legal* and customary rights* of local communities* * to maintain control over management activities within or related to the Management Unit* to the extent necessary to protect their rights, resources and lands and territories*. Delegation by local communities* of control over management activities to third parties requires Free, Prior and Informed Consent*. (C3.1 and 3.2 V4)
Indicator 4.2.1
Through culturally appropriate* engagement* local communities* are informed of when, where and how they can comment on and request modification to management activities to the extent necessary to protect their rights.
Verifiers 4.2.1
a. Procedure of informing local communities (publicly available)
b. Evidence on informing local communities
Indicator 4.2.2
The legal* and customary rights* of local communities* to maintain control over management activities are not violated by The Organization*.
Verifiers 4.2.2
a. Registry of complains and grievances
b. Interviews with representatives or members of the communities
Indicator 4.2.3
Where evidence exists that legal* and customary rights* of local communities* related to management activities have been violated the situation is corrected, if necessary, through culturally appropriate* engagement* and/or through the dispute* resolution process in Criteria* 1.6 or 4.6.
Verifiers 4.2.3
a. Registry for complains and grievances and its associated documents
b. Interviews with communities and managers
Indicator 4.2.4
Free, Prior and Informed Consent* is granted by local communities* prior to management activities that affect their identified rights through a process that includes:
Verifiers 4.2.4
1. Ensuring local communities* know their rights and obligations regarding the resource
a. Signed contracts for administration/provision of services
b. Valid agreements signed with the owners
c. Local council decisions
d. Shareholder general assembly decisions
2. Informing the local communities* of the value, in economic, social and environmental terms, of the resource over which they are considering delegation of control
a. Forest management plan
3. Informing the local communities* of their right to withhold or modify consent to the proposed management activities to the extent necessary to protect rights, and resources
a. Contract for administration/provision of services
b. Valid agreements signed with communities
4. Informing the local communities* of the current and future planned forest* management activities
a. Recordings of public consultations
b. Official notifications
c. Website
d. Official bulletin board of the organization and town halls
Criterion 4.3
The Organization* shall* provide reasonable* opportunities for employment, training and other services to local communities*, contractors and suppliers proportionate to scale* and intensity* of its management activities. (C4.1 V4)
Indicator 4.3.2
Reasonable* opportunities are communicated and provided to local communities*, local contractors and local suppliers for:
1. Employment
2. Training
Verifiers 4.3.2
3. Other services
a. Procedure for employment
b. Employees evidence
c. Interviews
d. Training written evidence
Criterion 4.4
The Organization* shall* implement additional activities, through engagement* with local communities*, that contribute to their social and economic development, proportionate to the scale*, intensity* and socio-economic impact of its management activities. (C4.4 v4)
Indicator 4.4.1
Opportunities for local social and economic development are identified through culturally appropriate engagement* with local communities* and other relevant organizations.
Verifiers 4.4.1
a. Interviews with managers
b. Written records of public consultations with local communities and key stakeholders
Indicator 4.4.2
Projects and additional activities are implemented and/or supported that contribute to local social and economic benefit and are proportionate to the socio-economic impact of management activities.
Verifiers 4.4.2
a. Consultations with beneficiaries and key stakeholders
b. Relevant documents (budgets, projects)
c. Written evidence on partnerships, collaborations, agreements
Criterion 4.5
The Organization*, through engagement* with local communities*, shall* take action to identify, avoid and mitigate significant negative social, environmental and economic impacts of its management activities on affected communities. The action taken shall* be proportionate to the scale, intensity and risk* of those activities and negative impacts. (C4.4 V4)
Indicator 4.5.1
Through culturally appropriate* engagement* with local communities*, measures are implemented to identify, avoid and mitigate significant negative social, environmental and economic impacts of management activities.
Verifiers 4.5.1
a. Internal procedures
b. Impact assessment
c. Consultations
1. Procedures for evaluating socio-economic impact of management activities exist and are implemented.
a. Internal procedures
b. Socio-economic analysis
2. When significant negative impacts are detected, measures to avoid/mitigate the negative socio-economic impact on local communities are established and implemented through culturally appropriate involvement of these communities.
a. Agreements
b. Meeting minutes
c. Control documents
d. Public consultations
Criterion 4.6
The Organization*, through engagement* with local communities*, shall* have mechanisms for resolving grievances and providing fair compensation to local communities* and individuals with regard to the impacts of management activities of The Organization*.
Indicator 4.6.1
A publically available dispute resolution process is in place, developed through culturally appropriate* engagement* with local communities*.
Verifiers 4.6.1
a. Registry for complains and grievances
b. Evidence on involving communities
c. Interviews
Indicator 4.6.2
Grievances related to the impacts of management activities are responded to in a timely manner*, and are either resolved or are in the dispute* resolution process.
Verifiers 4.6.2
a. Registry for complains and grievances
b. Case files with proposed solutions
c. Interviews with persons involved
Indicator 4.6.3
An up to date record of grievances related to the impacts of management activities is held including:
Verifiers 4.6.3
a. Internal procedure
1. Steps taken to resolve grievances.
a. Registry for complains and grievances
b. Case files with proposed solutions
c. Interviews with persons involved
2. Outcomes of all dispute resolution processes including fair compensation to local communities* and individuals.
a. Registry for complains and grievances
b. Case files with proposed solutions
c. Interviews with persons involved
3. Unresolved dispute, the reasons they are not resolved and how they will be resolved.
a. Registry for complains and grievances
b. Case files with proposed solutions
c. Interviews with persons involved
Indicator 4.6.4
4.6.4 Operations cease in areas while disputes exist of:
Verifiers 4.6.4
a. Court decisions
b. Official notifications
1. Substantial magnitude
2. Substantial duration
3. Involving a significant* number of interests
Criterion 4.7
The Organization*, through engagement* with local communities*, shall* identify sites which are of special cultural, ecological, economic, religious or spiritual significance, and for which these local communities* hold legal* or customary rights*. These sites shall* be recognized by The Organization*, and their management and/or protection* shall* be agreed through engagement* with these local communities*.
Indicator 4.7.1
Sites of special cultural, ecological, economic, religious or spiritual significance, for which local communities* hold legal* or customary rights* are identified through culturally appropriate engagement* and are recognized by The Organization*.
Verifiers 4.7.1
a. Proof of consultations with authorities in the field
b. Proof of consultations with stakeholders
c. Maps
Indicator 4.7.2
Measures to protect such sites are agreed, documented and implemented through culturally appropriate engagement* with local communities*. When local communities* determine that physical identification of sites in documentation or on maps would threaten the value or protection* of the sites, then other means will be used.
Verifiers 4.7.2
a. Internal procedures
b. Records of trainings
c. Interviews
d. Proof of training of employees and contractors
Indicator 4.7.3
Whenever sites of special cultural, ecological, economic, religious or spiritual significance are newly observed or discovered, management activities cease immediately in the vicinity until protective measures have been agreed to with the local communities*, and as directed by local and national laws*.
Verifiers 4.7.3
a. Internal procedures
b. Records of trainings
c. Interviews
d. Proof of training of employees and contractors
Criterion 4.8
The Organization* shall* uphold* the right of local communities* to protect* and utilize their traditional knowledge and shall* compensate local communities* for the utilization of such knowledge and their intellectual property*. A binding agreement as per Criterion* 3.3 shall* be concluded between The Organization* and the local communities* for such utilization through Free, Prior and Informed Consent* before utilization takes place, and shall* be consistent with the protection* of intellectual property* rights. (New)
Indicator 4.8.1
Traditional knowledge and intellectual property* is are protected and is are only used when the holders owners of that traditional knowledge and intellectual property* have provided their Free, Prior and Informed Consent*formalized through a binding agreement*.
Indicator 4.8.2
Local communities* are compensated according to the binding agreement* reached through Free, Prior and Informed Consent* for the use of traditional knowledge* and intellectual property*.
Verifiers 4.8.2
a. Public consultation
b. Interviews