From 26-31 October over 700 FSC members, global leaders, Indigenous representatives, and sustainability experts came together in Panama for the 10th FSC General Assembly. Over the course of the week participants engaged in deep, thoughtful discussions on responsible forestry and voted on motions that will guide the direction of the FSC system in the years ahead.
At a time of increasing environmental, social, and political urgency, voices from across FSC's environmental, social, and economic chambers echoed a shared commitment: that forests are central in building resilience, supporting communities, and our collective future.
Members' Assembly, voting, and motions
At the core of the General Assembly is the Members Assembly where FSC’s unique chamber-balanced democratic governance system comes to life. Members from all three chambers – social, economic and environmental – deliberated and voted on 42 motions each representing a proposal for new work areas or improvements to the FSC system.
The motions that passed for implementation include:
Motion 03: Criteria and Bases for Protocol to Assign New Members to the FSC Social, Economic and Environmental Chambers
Motion 04: Policy for Association (PfA) Adherence
Motion 06: Statutory Motion to Strengthen our Code of Conduct applicable to Members and others
Motion 07: Updating Terminology to Align FSC Statutes and Network Policy
Motion 08: Statutory Motion to Formalise the Holding of Virtual and Hybrid General Assemblies of Members
Motion 11: Strengthen the Membership in FSC to Strengthen the FSC System
Motion 30: A roadmap for a digital information and volume control system to improve the integrity of FSC claims (previously, Control on False Claims on FSC Products)
Motion 32: FSC Streamlining Simplification of the Normative Framework
Motion 33: Strengthening FSC’s Value Proposition
Motion 34: Enhancing the Recognition of FSC Certification in International Regulatory Frameworks
Motion 37: Facilitating Indigenous Certification
Motion 38: Strengthen market development for communities and smallholders in tropical countries
Motion 43: Strengthening Identification, Protection and Monitoring of Forest HCVs (1-6)
Motion 45: Moving beyond fixed thresholds to outcome-based conservation for Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs)
Motion 46: FSC Shall Certify Restoration
Motion 47: Promote FSC certification and ecosystem services verification as relevant climate change investment tools by widening the landscape approach to encompass diverse woodland ecosystems.
For each motion that passed, a dedicated team at FSC will develop a work plan and timeline for implementation in the coming weeks, ensuring that the ambitions agreed in Panama translate into concrete action.
Sustainable management of Panama’s forests
A key milestone during the General Assembly was the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Environment of Panama and FSC to promote sustainable forest management in state forests. This partnership aims to strengthen forest governance, promote transparency, build technical capacities, and ensure the conservation of Panama’s forest heritage for generations to come.
“Truly for us this strategic joint work with FSC will catapult our forestry sector into true sustainability. We think this alliance with FSC is absolutely crucial,” said Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of Environment of Panama.
Plenaries and side events
Opening assembly: FSC General Assembly opens with a call for shared responsibility
The 2025 FSC General Assembly opened on 26 October in Panama City with a ceremony led by Indigenous Guna leader Briseida Iglesias, followed by remarks from Juan Carlos Navarro, Panama’s Minister of Environment. Their words set a tone for humility, urgency and collective action.
“There is one thing that brings us all into one room today, and that is FSC. The global challenges are much bigger than FSC, we cannot face them alone. So, we need to look at what can we do as FSC and who do we need to collaborate with,” said FSC Board Chair Stuart Valentine.
Shaping our roots: Evolving for a climate-responsive, user-friendly, and impact-driven future
Reflecting on FSC’s journey, a plenary on 27 October focused on revising the Principles & Criteria – the very foundation of FSC certification – to better respond to today’s environmental and social realities.
“This cannot be a business-as-usual process. We have to dig deep, figure out new ways to work, and be upfront about the pains that establishing deep-down roots involve,” said FSC Director General Subhra Bhattacharjee.
Branching into the future: Amplifying the true value of forests to sustain life on Earth
On 28 October, members and stakeholders convened for a plenary on FSC’s 2027–2032 Global Strategy and what is needed to achieve its vision: resilient forests sustain life on Earth.
“We know how to do responsible forest management; this is our strength. And we have one of the most amazing platforms for dialogue out there that is multicultural, that aims to be ever more inclusive, and that results in getting this diversity of people into a single room, having a conversation,” said Amanda Carvalho de Andrade, Vice-chairperson of the FSC Board of Directors and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Throughout the week, participants joined 40 side events designed to exchange insights and strengthen partnerships. Topics included:
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Shaping climate and biodiversity action
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Advancing Indigenous Peoples’ and workers’ rights
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Enabling circular economy initiatives
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Strengthening system integrity
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Catalyzing sustainable finance
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Fighting deforestation and degradation
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Empowering youth
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Leveraging the potential of High Conservation Values
Read about the sessions here.
Continued collaboration
As the 10th General Assembly concludes, FSC looks ahead to a new phase of collaboration with the development of its 2027–2032 Global Strategy and the revision of its Principles & Criteria. Members and stakeholders are invited to take part in the ongoing consultations.
The success of the 10th General Assembly was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. FSC is a global community united by a shared purpose. Only by working together can we power the change needed to address today’s social and environmental challenges. To learn more about joining FSC to help protect forests for all, forever, visit www.fsc.org.