Iwokrama Forest Retains FSC Certification Following 2025 Audit

The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development has confirmed that the Iwokrama Forest has retained its Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) Certification for Forest Management following an annual surveillance audit conducted in October 2025.

In a release, the Centre said it also maintained its FSC™ status for two ecosystem services — Biodiversity Conservation and Recreational (tourism) Services. The Iwokrama Forest remains the only forest area in Guyana and the Caribbean to hold this certification.

Iwokrama was formally established in 1996 by an Act of Parliament and an agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat, following a landmark initiative by then President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, who in 1989 offered nearly one million acres of Guyana’s intact rainforest to the international community at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The initiative laid the foundation for the Iwokrama International Centre as a global model for balancing rainforest conservation with sustainable development.

According to the Centre, the Ecosystem Services verification provides additional third-party validation of Iwokrama’s sustainable forest management practices and confirms that there were no major corrective actions against any requirements of the FSC™ Ecosystem Services procedure.

Iwokrama’s Chief Executive Officer, Dane Gobin, said, “the Centre is proud to have maintained its FSC™ certification.” He noted that “in 2008 the Centre was the first to achieve and maintain FSC™ certification in Guyana. I am happy to see that other operators have followed the Centre’s footsteps so that there are now four FSC™ Forest Management certificates in Guyana.”

Head of the Certification team, Anne-Marie Ford, said the achievement “not only validates Iwokrama’s commitment to sustainable forest management but reinforces our innovative approach to integrating ecotourism and world-class research for lasting ecological and community impact.”

The Centre said Iwokrama’s Forest Management certificate was renewed in January 2026, confirming that certification has been maintained uninterrupted since October 2016. Iwokrama first received FSC™ certification in 2008.

FSC™ certification is regarded as the highest international recognition for forest managers and is awarded based on compliance with strict social, ecological, and environmental standards. The Centre explained that its forest management policies and procedures were assessed against the Interim National Standard for Guyana (FSC-STD-GUY-01-2020), which includes 10 principles, 70 criteria, and 213 indicators. The assessment also requires adherence to national laws and guidelines, including the Guyana Forestry Commission’s Codes of Practice.

During the most recent surveillance audit, Iwokrama received three observations and one minor corrective action. The Centre noted that non-compliances are categorized as observations, minor corrective actions, or major corrective actions, and are a normal part of the audit process. The number and severity of non-compliances can affect whether certification is maintained.

The release also noted that demand for certified forest products has increased in recent years, with many international buyers and major global markets now requiring certification to ensure wood products are sourced from well-managed forests.

The Centre expressed gratitude to the Government of Guyana for its ongoing support and extended special thanks to its certification team and community partners, including the North Rupununi District Development Board, for their continued support.