Guideline for Verification on Legality and Sustainability ofWood and Wood Products(Provisional Translation)
15 February 2006
Wood Products Division
Forestry Agency of Japan
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Summary
Illegal logging is a very important problem to be solved for the world
wide preservation of environment and sustainable forest management.
The Japanese government has been tackling this problem based upon
the principle that 'illegally harvested timber should not be used'.
Cooperation at bilateral, regional and multilateral phase, developing
technology for distinguishing illegally harvested timber, supporting
measures in private sector and so forth have been carried out ascountermeasures against illegal logging.
Besides, G8 Gleneagles Summit held in UK July 2005 endorsed theoutcome of the G8 Environment and Development Ministerial
Conference which committed to a range of actions to adopt public
procurement policy, to control illegal logging and associated trade, andto assist timber producing countries. And in "JAPAN'S CLIMATE
INITIATIVE", it is also referred to that actions should be taken to tackle
illegal logging through government procurement policy and otherrelated policies.
Under these circumstances, Government of Japan set methods forverifying legality and sustainability of wood and wood products anddecided to promote verified products as appropriate items for
procurement of ministries and agencies, independent administrative
institutions, special legal entities and so forth, by means of amending"Basic Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing" of "Law Concerning
the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by
the State and Other Entities" (Law No.100 of 2000).

This guideline is drawn up to indicate some points which the supplierof wood and wood products should pay proper attention to when they
verify legality and sustainability of their supply.

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Definition
The definition of each terms in this guideline are as follows.
（１）Legality
The timber to be procured should be harvested in legal mannerconsistent with procedures in the forest laws of timber producing
countries and areas.
（２）Sustainability
The timber to be procured should be harvested from the forest
under sustainable management.
（３）Forest Certification System
System in which third party institution assesses and certificatesthe forest management level based on the standard settled by theindependent forest certification institution.
（４）CoC (Chain of Custody) Certification System
System in which third party institution assesses and certificatesthe company about its way of custody to separate wood and wood
products which originated in forest with certification properly fromthose not.
（５）Separative Custody Management
The way of custody to manage wood and wood products verified
with legality and sustainability separated from those not.
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Methods of Verification
Examples of methods of verification on legality and sustainabilityof wood and wood products are as follows.
（１）Forest certification system and chain of custody system① Outline
This method utilizes a forest certification system and chain ofcustody system in which the third party institution assesses andcertificates the forest under sustainable management and woodand wood products harvested from such forest are under
separate custody and consumers could purchase these items
selectively. (Reference No.1)②Notes2Legality and sustainability need to be verified by the certification
seal on wood and wood products, payment or receiving slips andso forth connecting with CoC certification.
（ ２ ） Verification method by company under the authorization ofassociation① Outline
Associations for forest owners, forestry or wood industry maketheir voluntary code of conduct for supplying wood and wood
products verified with legality and sustainability.
Under these voluntary code of conduct, the scheme toguarantee the association member’s adequate way of supplying
wood and wood products verified with legality and sustainability(for example, scheme to assess and guarantee the system forseparate management, document management, etc.) and points
to be paid proper attention when supplying wood and wood
products and other articles should be prescribed and announced
publicly.
In more concrete term, guaranteed company issues the paper(verification), to the related company closest in commercial
process, which verifies that wood and wood products they supply
are with legality and sustainability and under separate custody
management. And verification are issued repeatedly andmutually at each supply stage to make chain of verification onlegality and sustainability. (Reference No.2)② Notesa. General notes
In the verification at each stage on legality and sustainability,
the given number when verified should be described in addition
to the basic information about list of items amount and so forth ofobjective wood and wood products.
b. Notes at harvesting stage
At harvesting stage, in addition to the basic subjects in generalnotes (②a. above), the name of site where the timber washarvested should be described and legality and sustainability
should be verified as indicated below.
3ⅰ) Regarding legality, it should be described in the verificationthat the timber was harvested in legal manner consistent withprocedures in the forest laws of timber producing countries andareas.
ⅱ ) Regarding sustainability, it should be described in theverification that the timber was harvested from the forest undersustainable management.
c. Notes at processing and distributing stage
At processing and distributing stage, in addition to the basic
subjects in general notes (②a. above), it should be described in
the verification that the products are verified with legality andsustainability or made from materials verified.
d. Notes at delivery stage
At delivery stage, on requests from purchaser, in addition to thebasic subjects in general notes ( ② a. above), it should bedescribed in the verification that wood and wood products fordelivery are verified with legality and sustainability.
e. Notes for other pointsⅰ) Verification of legality and sustainability needs the descriptionof necessary subjects, but statement of delivery with necessary
description of these subjects could be substituted for theverification.
ⅱ) Part of description of subjects in the verification could beomitted if the copy of existing documents (such as statement ofdelivery) with the same contents as verification are attached.
（３）Verification method by original measure of each company① Outline
A company such as a large scale one, not adopting the method(1) or (2) above, verify legality and sustainability by means of its
original measure under comprehension of distribution processfrom harvesting to delivery.
②Notes4

Regarding legality and sustainability, the same level of reliability
needs to be secured as the verification method by the company
under the authorization of association for forest owners, forestry
or wood industry.
４

Preservation of Verification
Related company should preserve verification they issued during
definite terms and present underlying documents if required.

５

Assessment and Review
This guideline will be assessed and reviewed by themulti-stakeholder meeting composed of diverse members such as
related associations for forest owners, forestry or wood industry,
persons from academic society and environment NGO withexamination about the enforcement situation among the persons andcompanies concerned in wood and wood products sector
corresponding to the government procurement based on the "Basic
Policy on Promoting Green Purchasing", and proper amendment may
be added as occasion demands.

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