How is FORCERT organised?

FORCERT consists of two separate sections. One is the FSC group certification service. This will be a self-financing section, generating income through a system of annual membership fees for its producer en CMU members, and through charging a small levy per m3 of certified timber sold by producers to CMU's and by CMU's to overseas buyers. Outside funding has been secured for the establishment and initial development of the service. It is expected that the FORCERT group certification service becomes self-financing around Year 7 (2010).

ACPlucasmill2_smallThe other section is a certification awareness, training and capacity building service, which supports the development of the group certification service. The certification awareness, training and capacity building service is subsidized and its activities will decline as the membership of the group certification service builds up, eventually to a level where it either is funded completely through the surplus funds from the croup certification, or with minor continued outside funding.

FORCERT works closely with existing service providers (e.g. NGOs, training institutions, government institutions & programmes, local businesses) in developing and executing its services, and in developing and maintaining the support network that is to benefit its members.

FORCERT is registered as a Company, so it has Shareholders and a Board of Directors. Producer and CMU members of the FORCERT Group Certificate automatically receive one share in the company once they join the Group Certificate. FORCERT also has a limited number of institutional shareholders (5), who have helped establish the company, and who will be available to advise and support the other shareholders. These five institutional shareholders are:

  • lau-teachers-housesCentre for Environmental Law & Community Rights (CELCOR)
  • Catholic Diocese of Aitape
  • Greenpeace Australia-Pacific
  • World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-PNG)
  • Village Development Trust (VDT)

Houses for teachers of the local school; one of the social benefits from the community eco-forestry enterprises (Lau village, East New Britain Province). The FORCERT directors are people from various professional backgrounds, who combined give the company a vast and valuable total of experiences that assist in guiding its management and building its policies. Directors are chosen on personal merit and do not represent the organisation they work for.

The head office of FORCERT is located at the Walindi Nature Centre, West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. It is staffed with the Manager, Administration & Finance Officer and an Extension Forester. There are two shared area offices in Madang and Kokopo, each staffed with an Extension Forester.