Trade union leader and former MP Dr Ramachandra Khuntia while addressing the Regional Conference of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) demanded empowerment smallholders, women, communities, workers, indigenous people and other under-represented groups.
He also insisted that forest certification should give more importance to improve forest management and market information shifting the global
forest trend towards sustainable use, conservation and restoration and respect and responsibility for all.
Further, Khuntia insisted that the Forest Standard Development Group (SDG) and Network for Certification and Conservation of Forest (NCCF) while preparing the documents and FSC while processing the forest certification must give more importance for IlO Core labour Standard for the workers and indigenous people, working condition, minimum wages, social security, medical care and right of Scheduled Tribe and other traditional forest dwellers.
The regional conference of FSC which is one of the most reputed forest conservation and forest certification organisations had the regional meeting of the members at Nikko, Bali, in Indonesia.
It discussed in Asia and Pacific Region forest related issues. Rulita Wijayaningdvah, Chairman FSC, Kim Carstensen, Director, FSC, Alistan, Regional Director, FSC were present in the meeting. Dr RC Khuntia, Dr DPS Varma, Manoharan and Jaswant participated in the meeting from India.