The Pan African Forest Certification (PAFC) Congo Basin regional system achieved PEFC endorsement on 16 December 2021. PAFC Congo is part of this regional system, along with PAFC Cameroon and PAFC Gabon.

2020 regional system documentation

2020-22 system assessment (regional system)

• Status: Assessment finished, system endorsed
• Type: Endorsement of a new system
• Assessor: Form international
• System submitted for assessment: 22 December 2020
• Consultation: 1 February - 1 April 2021
• Corrective actions submitted: 22 July 2022
• In-country visits completed: 11-20 October 2022 (delayed due to Covid 19)
• Final assessment report submitted: 14 November 2022

Watch the recording of the webinar to find out more about this regional system.

Endorsement milestones

To maintain its PEFC endorsement, the system must meet specific endorsement milestones. The first milestone is the start of the periodic review within five years of the national approval of the sustainable forest management standard.

• National approval date: 28 November 2020
• Review date: 28 November 2025

System history

• Regional system endorsed: 16 December 2021
• Joined PEFC: 31 May 2017 
  

PAFC Congo

History before PEFC

The Republic of Congo initiated forestry management plans 15 years ago. In addition to those management plans, the country wants all its forestry companies to be covered with a forestry certification process in accordance with the national standards and policy specificities (Forestry Code).

Furthermore, the country has committed itself to different international agreements such as the Voluntary Partnership Agreement for Timber legality with the EU to ensure safe and legally exported timber from Congo to EU countries since 2010.

With the support of international donors, the country has initiated a feasibility study for the implementation of PEFC in Congo. In 2015, the country named M. Tabaka as focal point for the Forestry Administration to coordinate the PEFC National Scheme and Standards Draft to be submitted to PEFC International. The NGB was officially created in 2017 to develop the PAFC system in the Republic of Congo.

What are the benefits of being part of the PEFC alliance?

PEFC certification is recognized worldwide, under non-governmental body management and with a strong governance structure in terms of management and ruling processes.

The mutual recognition of national certification schemes within PEFC International takes into consideration the country specificities and concerns to easily integrate them within the certification process. One major PEFC strength would be an approach where principles, criteria and indicators are elaborated locally and then recognized at the international level with all local specificities.