PEFC International Board member passes away after severe illness

9 April 2020 News

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jin Sook Lee, our Board member, colleague and friend, after a long battle with cancer on 7 April 2020.

She had been a member of the PEFC International Board of Directors since 2018 and had been the direct liaison of BWI to PEFC in promoting country level forest standards by ensuring that BWI affiliates and partners are part of the development process of the standards. 

Jin Sook became the Global Campaign Director for Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) in 2010. In this capacity she was in charge of promoting BWI Sustainable Forest Management, particularly in the area of Forest Certification. Jin Sook was also instrumental in launching successful campaigns focused on migrant workers’ rights, gender equality and trade union rights. 

She was also involved in coordinating global conferences on thematic issues around combatting illegal logging, climate change and workers' rights as well as the wood and forestry agenda within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, she negotiated International Framework Agreements (IFA) with several global forestry companies and coordinated with ILO Sector on programs and policies on Wood and Forestry.

Jin Sook will be lovingly remembered by her husband Kyung Kyu, her children Hansoo and Yunsoo, and her sisters Min Sook and Eun Sook.

BWI has requested that those wishing to express their sympathies to Jin Sook's family, to please send sympathy letters to info@bwint.org