For PEFC, 2010 was in many ways the "Year of Society." PEFC's activities were aimed at ensuring increased attention to social issues and greater inclusion of previously disadvantaged or disenfranchised stakeholders in sustainable forest management. It also saw renewed efforts to readjust the balance between the three pillars of sustainable development based on the lessons learned from previous years: environmental protection, economic viability and social equity.
In 2010, PEFC embarked on an important process of Standards Revision to widen their scope and integrate social concerns more fully in these documents. The four standards – Standard-setting Requirements, Group Certification Requirements, Sustainable Forest Management Requirements, and the Chain of Custody Standard – were all revised and adopted by the PEFC General Assembly at its Annual Meeting in November 2010.
The year was also characterized by an increase in outreach and advocacy activities. These were in part a by-product of the consultation and dialogue process instituted as part of the Standards Revisions process. Equally, these outreach activities were an attempt to give forest certification a new momentum and encourage uptake. These activities resulted in the adoption by the General Assembly of The Rio Forest Certification Declaration, a new document outlining framework conditions for forest certification.
