Samling Global Limited

In October 2022 a coalition of organizations including SAVE Rivers, GCRAC (Gerenai Community Rights Action Committee), KERUAN Organisation, The Borneo Project, and Bruno Manser Fund submitted a complaint to FSC against Samling Global Limited. The allegations made by the complainants include the following alleged unacceptable activities according to FSC´s Policy for Association (FSC-POL-01-004-V2-0, Part I, 1a-1d):

• Illegal logging or the trade in illegal wood or forest products
• Violation of traditional and human rights in forestry operations
• Destruction of high conservation values in forestry operations
• Significant conversion of forests to plantations or non-forest-use

The alleged activities have mainly occurred between 2017 and 2022 in Sarawak (including the Upper Baram Forest Area, amongst others), Malaysia. 

The allegations have been made against non-certified entities of Samling Global Limited that are connected to two entities that were FSC chain of custody certificate holders, thereby being a part of the Samling group. Due to the chain of custody certificate holders' indirect involvement in the alleged unacceptable activities defined in FSC’s Policy for Association, FSC has decided to accept the complaint and open a Policy for Association case against Samling Global Limited. 

The alleged unacceptable activities occurred in Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC/MTCS) certified forests. The group of NGOs who submitted the Policy for Association complaint against Samling to FSC had also submitted a complaint to PEFC/MTCS. PEFC and MTCS have informed FSC that they are looking into/investigating the complaint. Presently, the PEFC/MTCS certificates of Samling continue to remain valid.

The case will be managed according to the Procedure for Processing FSC Policy for Association Complaints (FSC-PRO-01-009 V4-0).