From complaints to change [1]: The present of safeguarding Indigenous Peoples' Rights
This panel, co-hosted by the FSC Indigenous Foundation and Taiwan Social South Chamber will explore the user experience of FSC’s complaints mechanism, with a focus on Indigenous Peoples. The discussion will address key challenges—such as the system’s complexity, unclear procedures, and the need for culturally appropriate communication to build trust. Drawing on real-world cases from Canada, Peru, Malaysia, and beyond, panelists will highlight barriers, share field experiences, and propose solutions to make the mechanism more inclusive and user-friendly. An analysis of issues related to Indigenous Peoples’ rights in FSC-certified forests—particularly concerning Principle 3 of the FSC P&C standard—will be provided, including case studies of recent disputes. The session will also examine the added value of FSC certification in protecting Indigenous rights compared to non-certified contexts. This dialogue among Indigenous leaders, certificate holders, and system actors will help shape improvements, including a user-centered toolkit. Audience feedback will be encouraged through interactive tools.
Nicholas Mujah Ason, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA)
Nicholas Mujah Anak Ason is an Indigenous Iban leader from Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. He serves as Secretary General of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) and has contributed to the Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil Policy Standard Committee. Nicholas represented Indigenous Peoples on FSC’s Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee from 2011 to 2023 and is currently a board council member of the FSC Indigenous Foundation, advocating for Indigenous rights and sustainability.
Matthias Wilnhammer, Assurance Services International (ASI)
Matthias Wilnhammer is an accreditation leader with over 14 years of experience in sustainability certification. He is responsible for all ASI accreditation services, having previously led ASI's FSC program and dispute resolution system for several years. With over a decade of assessing FSC Certification Bodies globally, he offers extensive insight into the practical application of FSC certification, including with regard to Indigenous Peoples’ rights and FPIC.
Dr. Marcus Colchester, Forest Peoples Programme
Marcus Colchester is a social anthropologist with 50 years’ experience supporting Indigenous Peoples across Amazonia, the tropics, and Siberia. He is the founder and Senior Policy Advisor of the Forest Peoples Programme, focusing on Indonesia. Marcus is an individual FSC member and serves on the FSC Board of Directors representing Social North. He also acts as the Board liaison to the Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee and the FSC Indigenous Foundation.
Stefan Jensen, FSC Australia and New Zealand (ANZ)
Stefan Jensen is the Senior Policy Manager at FSC Australia and New Zealand. With a background in public policy and international development, he has been involved with FSC for 14 years in roles such as board member of FSC Denmark and Forests of the World and as a volunteer for FSC ANZ. For the past six years, Stefan has managed FSC ANZ’s policy work, leading its engagement with First Nations Peoples and promoting sustainable forestry.
Chiung-His Liu
Chiung Hsi Liu is a professor at National Taitung University, specializing in ecology, Indigenous ecology, and sustainable agriculture. With degrees in forestry and zoology, his work has long focused on the sustainable development of Indigenous communities, including community recovery and self-governance. In strong support of FSC’s incorporation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into its standards, he founded the Taiwan Forest Certification Development Association in 2011, advancing FSC certification across 1.6M hectares of Taiwan’s public forests. Re-elected chair in 2023, he continues to promote FSC standards and Indigenous rights
David Flood
David Flood (Zonzei Maiingun) is from Matachewan First Nation, an Ojibway community in northeast Ontario. He is Co-Chair of the FSC Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee. With over 30 years’ experience in forestry, land management, advocacy, and business development, he serves as General Manager of Wahkohtowin Development, advancing Indigenous-led forest and land stewardship. David is passionate about cultural revival and youth-elder relationships. He holds a B.Sc. in Forest Management and is a Registered Professional Forester in Ontario.
Julian Nierentz
Overseeing the current revision of FSC´s complaints and appeals procedure. Responsible for FSC´s complaints´ mechanism and for managing complaint cases that reach FSC International, including Policy for Association cases. Joined FSC in 2012 working in various roles in market development including Value Chain Development or Trademark Management before joining System Integrity in 2022. Economist by training specialized in international trade and development.
Lorena Martinez
Lorena Martínez Hernández works at the FSC, coordinating investigations related to the integrity of FSC system. She holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Law and a PhD in Law from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili. She was a visiting research fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge and undertook an internship at UNEP. She worked for IUCN, supporting policy for climate change adaptation.
Event Details
- Monday, 27 October
Time: 08:30 - 10:00 (EST - Panama) / 14:30 - 16:00 (CET) / 21:30 - 23:00 (WITA)