Belarus has successfully achieved PEFC re-endorsement, confirming it continues to meet PEFC’s globally recognised Sustainability Benchmarks.
This re-endorsement also ensures that certified forest owners and companies in Belarus continue to benefit from the global acceptance of PEFC.
The Republican Association of Forest Certification System, PEFC’s National member for Belarus, first achieved endorsement of its national system in 2010. Since then, almost nine million hectares of Belarusian forests have been PEFC-certified – equating to virtually all of the country’s forest area.
The endorsement process
To achieve endorsement, a national system goes through a rigorous assessment to confirm it was developed in line with PEFC’s requirements.
An independent PEFC Registered Assessor conducts the assessment, which evaluates the compliance of the national system. The assessor bases the assessment on comments received from a 60-day global public consultation, field trips and other available information.
After a national system has successfully passed the assessment, the PEFC General Assembly votes on its endorsement.
