10.07.2026
Following the adoption of Motion 45 at the FSC General Assembly in 2025, the work is entering a new phase with the publication of the first version of the Advice Note on Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL). ATIBT is actively participating in the international Technical Working Group responsible for developing this new framework, which could ultimately influence all FSC requirements related to IFLs.
From Motion 45 to its implementation
At its 2025 General Assembly, FSC adopted Motion 45, opening an important revision of its approach to Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL). This motion aims to move the FSC system towards an approach more strongly based on conservation outcomes, while maintaining a high level of protection of the ecological integrity of intact forest landscapes.
To translate this direction into operational requirements, FSC established a Technical Working Group (TWG) in early 2026, bringing together international experts from the different FSC chambers, scientists, certification bodies, forest managers and representatives of environmental organizations.
ATIBT is part of this working group and represents issues related to the sustainable management of tropical forests, particularly those of the Congo Basin.
A first version of the Advice Note published
On 1 July 2026, FSC published Advice Note ADV-STD-60-004_02 V1-0v, which accompanies the entry into force of the revised national standards of Canada, Peru and the Republic of Congo, resulting from pilot projects carried out under Motion 23 (2020). These three standards are now applicable; Brazil’s standard is expected to be approved in the coming months.
This publication marks the culmination of the work undertaken under Motion 23, which aimed to test, in several forest contexts, new approaches to IFL management based on participatory processes at landscape scale, ecological analyses and stakeholder consultations.
The Advice Note, however, is much more than an accompanying document. It represents the first step in the implementation of Motion 45, adopted by FSC members in 2025. It introduces enhanced requirements for the management and monitoring of High Conservation Values type 2 (HCV 2) and IFLs, which will progressively complement the requirements of the national standards of the pilot countries. A first set of provisions (Clauses 1 to 4) is applicable as soon as the new standards enter into force, while an enriched version (V2-0), currently under development, is expected to enter into force in early 2027 with more complete requirements.
In the longer term, these new requirements are intended to be integrated into the International Generic Indicators (IGIs), as part of the revision of FSC’s Principles, Criteria and Indicators (PCI), before being incorporated into all national standards.
The work continues
The publication of this first version does not mark the end of the process.
The TWG is now engaged in Phase 2, which aims to strengthen and clarify certain provisions of the Advice Note, in particular:
Current discussions focus in particular on the right balance between common international requirements and the need for adaptation to regional contexts, as well as on the distinction between the normative requirements of the Advice Note and the guidance that will be developed in future methodological guides.
In parallel, FSC has launched the development of two accompanying documents dedicated respectively to:
An active contribution from ATIBT
Throughout the work, ATIBT is working to promote an approach based on the conservation objectives set by Motion 45, while defending requirements that are technically robust, scientifically grounded and applicable in the different contexts of tropical forest management.
Recent discussions have focused in particular on how to articulate the new requirements with national standards already approved by FSC, as well as on the level of detail to be retained in the Advice Note in order to ensure its effectiveness, auditability and capacity to be adapted to regional realities.
The work will continue over the coming months with further meetings of the technical group, support from the regional partners of the Motion 23 project, the development of methodological guides and, eventually, a public consultation.
ATIBT's participation in this work is carried out within the framework of the TTT project.
TTT is a project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
