Russia and Belarus conflict timber clarification extended indefinitely

12 December 2022 PEFC system news

Since March 2022, all timber originating from Russia and Belarus has been considered ‘conflict timber’ and cannot be used in PEFC-certified products. The validity of the conflict timber clarification has been extended indefinitely and will be regularly monitored by the PEFC International Board.

The clarification that timber from Russia and Belarus is conflict timber followed an extraordinary meeting by the PEFC International Board in March to discuss Mr Putin's military aggression against Ukraine and its implications for PEFC and PEFC-certified forest owners and companies. 

The clarification that timber from Russia and Belarus is to be categorised as ‘conflict timber’ is based on the UN General Assembly Resolution A/ES-11/L.1 (2 March 2022) "Aggression against Ukraine" during the 11th Emergency Special Session, to safeguard the integrity of PEFC chain of custody certification.

Technical note

The PEFC Chain of Custody standard considers ‘conflict timber’ as a ‘controversial source’ (PEFC ST 2002:2020 3.7), which cannot be used in PEFC certified product groups (PEFC ST 2002:2020 Appendix 1 6.1). ‘Conflict timber’ is defined as “Timber that has been traded at some point in the chain of custody by armed groups, be they rebel factions or regular soldiers, or by a civilian administration involved in armed conflict or its representatives, either to perpetuate conflict or take advantage of conflict situations for personal gain. (PEFC ST 2002:2020, 3.6)

If you have questions or need more information, please visit our Conflict Timber FAQ page or contact conflict-timber@pefc.org